Wimstatic is a Lifestyle

Life Normalized

2012-01-16T04:46:00.000-05:00

10 months is long enough to make the moon home, let aloneMadagascar, however different it may be from the life I’ve known mostly inKentucky. Events transpire all the time that initially shocked or at the veryleast caught my attention. Now I would be appalled to live otherwise.

At the market for instance, bargaining is a sport and whenvendors new to me see a vazaha (foreigner/white person) coming, watch out, itis game on! It’s gotten to the point that I do indeed feel ripped off whencharged a dime higher that the going rate for an item. But then again, apineapple costs 50cents and a mango a nickel. To be fair, fruit is much cheaperon the coast and veggies are cheaper in the highlands. So right now when a kiloof potatoes costs 200 AR (5cents) near Tana, it’s about 2400 AR ($1.20) here.

Sticking with food for a minute, I’ve come to expect sand instreet food and occasionally hotely (restaurant) food. Then again, I expectsand everywhere. Everyday I can sweep out a small pile of sand from my house.Good thing there’s no carpet here!

This one has taken much longer to adapt to and will probablybe difficult to reverse (Future-returned-to-the-States-Maria apologizes), thenotion of time. I personally moved pretty slowly to begin with, but when itcomes to meetings, taxi-brousses, or schedules of any sort, they will neverbegin or leave on time. When a meeting starts at 2 PM, I show up around 2:15 togather the participants, shoot the shit for about a half an hour, then finallyget around to business. Brousses leave only once they’re full, though make thesame trips everyday so there is some routine. But when the guy at the stationsays the brousse is leaving at 2PM that really means show up by 2:30 or 3:00 soyou stuff gets packed on top and you should actually leave between 3-4. Andthat could be for a 45 min OR 12 hr drive.

Children under the age of 4 are either utterly enthralled,but more likely terrified of me, the white girl. I’ve lost count of the numberof children I’ve made cry based solely on my looks. And the best way to tellwith a 3-5 year old frozen on the fence because they haven’t decided how toreact to me is to smile as big as possible, say the local greeting and waveemphatically. 2 and only 2 reactions will occur. Either the child runs away,preferably to the hidden comfort behind their mother, OR instantly returns anequally emphatic wave and a smile big enough to lift them right off the ground.

To some degree or another, we’re all creatures of habit andit only takes time to adjust to most regular, however odd at first, occurrences.

A Call to Social Entrepreneurs!

2012-01-10T23:54:00.001-05:00

Happy 2012 to everyone! The New Year is bringing the heat andthe rain here in Madagascar and development projects are picking up. Since JulyI’ve been working with a women’s association to improve their financialmanagement skills. For example, they’ve begun using notebooks to track theirincome from mending and making children’s clothes as well as householdexpenses. Unable to build their savings the group approached me with an idea fora business that will provide them with financial security.

The 10 women of the ManirisoaFikambanana are eager to begin working as agricultural vendors in the marketbut have stumbled in raising capital for their entrepreneurship because theyhave not established significant savings with any lending institutions. Thisvery ambitious group has developed a schedule for buying and selling theirproducts as they have researched profitable activities all the while displayingdetermination and flexibility necessary for running a business. Their goal isto purchase coffee and rice in bulk as they are harvested from around theregion, hold their storage for several months until higher prices can becommanded in the down season, and then sell. They also plan to sell geese during holiday seasons likeChristmas and Easter. The money to be repaid on a loan will instead bereinvested into the business, continuing to expand their operation.

This Capital Projectwill enable 10 families in Farafangana to develop a sustainable income thatwill financially empower them, especially the women. I’m asking for yourassistance in making their dream of economic independence a reality. Our totalgoal is $1,350. This amount covers the initial round of purchasing for coffeeand rice, sacks, transportation, and similar costs. The association for theirpart has had the storage building constructed. If you would like to see adetailed plan for the spending, the calendar, and other details of the proposedbusiness, I can send the full proposal.

I ask of you to giveany amount because it will make adifference. This is a realistic opportunity to change and improve the lives ofwomen in a corner of the globe half a world away in one of the poorest regionsof one of the poorest countries in the world. A million thank you’s won’t covermy own appreciation for your generosity and I would be beyond thrilled for youto share this project and request with civic or church groups you are a partof, not only to get this business off the ground, but also share the type ofwork Peace Corps Volunteers are doing everyday around the world.

Fuel the change youwish to see in the world! My biggest hope is to be able to pass along the sheergratitude and inspiring optimism these women have already shown.

Here is the securelink through Peace Corps where you can contribute to this project:

https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.donatenow&keyword=684-122

Become a business angel for a Malagasy womens association with a social investment

2012-01-03T04:51:00.000-05:00

https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.donatenow&keyword=684-122

Sorry for now, but I will post many more details soon!

CATS V. RATS

2011-11-17T00:02:00.002-05:00

I could complain only about a few things here, but the thing I’ve come to realize that gets under my skin most would have to be the rats of course. These little terrors have been toying with me, particularly at night, since my first night in Farafangana. The beasts live in between the tin and the tree leave layers of the roof, scurrying and scampering mostly in the dark.

The little jerkfaces didn’t take too long to become my first and only mortal enemy in this world. Of course they eat the usual suspects like food. Really it’s my own fault if I carelessly leave bananas or rice outside of the locked metal trunk. Silly beginner mistakes will get the best of us. But when thieves attempt to horde away my soap, trash, and pasta almost every night, then an arch rivalry is to be expected. To their credit, rats don’t have discerning tastes. Not only have they nibbled away at every type of soap, but plastic wrappers and bottles and my jeans. They’ve even gone so far as to eat away at Dixie cups stacked in plastic bags hanging on the walls of my kitchen.

Once, early on, when I had received a bag of Jolly Ranchers in a care package (Thanks Mom!) a few pieces started to go amiss and at first thought that maybe the neighborhood children has snuck a few, but later was startled to see a fresh piece of candy resting on the pillow at head of my bed. Had someone been in my house?! Who would have set a piece of candy on the pillow the way 5-star hotels do? Ah, those little pests had dropped a piece while building a nest in the roof over the bed!

To remedy the situation, I resorted to a cat. First, I bought a kitten (though too close to an adult) who was terrified of me and its new home. After 4 days of being tied to a bedpost, the cat had gotten no closer to the goals of a) getting used to the house and the smells, and b) relaxing into its new home. After cutting the string, he spent the first few hours hiding in various spots inside before pissing on the bed as his parting message and bolted off, never to be seen again.

Several months later and still vexing the rats, I’ve gotten a new little kitten, Pumpkin. Or Little One, whichever the mood strikes. This striped orange feline with blue eyes is cute as a button, playful as can be, and stays close to the house. Although little dream cat did spend the first few days peeing and pooping everywhere but his litter box. We’ve got that covered now and there are fewer signs of rat presence.

Rats- 0 Cats-1

A LESSON OR TWO LEARNED

2011-10-21T03:52:00.001-04:00

To begin with, the first lesson learned has been crucial and needed to be learned right off the bat: Chew Softly. By softly I do not mean quietly, though that would be polite. I mean gently bring together one’s bottom teeth to one’s upper teeth in order to not crack said teeth on small rocks that may be lurking in the rice, beans, or other farmed edibles. Chewing softly prevents the acute dental pain that can result from careless chomping.

The second and more valuable lesson is a change in perception of laziness. Behavior I would have viewed as lazy in the past may not be the case now. 2 major factors have contributed to this personal paradigm shift. First, the concept of ‘island time’ shouldn’t be too hard to imagine, especially if you’ve ever been to a beach. Days simply move slower when it gets really hot and the sense of urgency is vastly different. A few scenarios that necessitate urgency include: diarrhea, fire, and being robbed. Clearly these are not daily or even regular occurrences.

Secondly, daily life is demanding, especially for the poor. Many Malagasy families haul buckets of water a quarter of mile several times a week, cook 3 meals a day from scratch, every day, and walk wherever they need to go, whether to school, the market, church, the fields, and back home again for lunch. (Wouldn’t I love to hand out pedometers for statistics sake!) Bikes are luxuries and vehicles are reserved only for the wealthy. Jobs are physically demanding too. Working fields by hand, fishing with nets out of canoes, and weaving silk and dried grasses make for tiring labor day-in and day-out, sometimes on insufficient amounts of protein and others forms of malnourishment.

Whereas in the past I would have viewed inaction similarly to laziness, that perception no longer holds water with me. Some of the groups I work with naturally seem reluctant to change. Okay, at times frustrating but understandable. What I initially see as a simple behavior change isn’t being ignored out of laziness, but change tends to happen over a longer period of time and is just one more thing to devote precious energy towards. I can’t blame the tortoise for doing his thing at tortoise pace, especially when he wins a race from time to time.

Food in Madagascar

2011-08-24T04:49:00.001-04:00

The Malagasy eat a LOT of rice. Three times a day. In fact, if a Malagasy person doesn’t eat rice with a meal, they feel like they haven’t eaten at all! This claim may need additional verification, but I’ve even heard that the Malagasy people consume the most rice per capita in the world. Because this is a tropical island, fruit is more than abundant. Banana and coconuts are always in season, but you can also find star fruit, passion fruit, papaya, pineapples, jack fruit, litchis, and new fruits called mangostan, corisol, and jaty.

Meat is the same, beef, chicken, pork, fish, duck, etc. though wealth determines how often it is consumed. Here is a sampling of dishes served here, with the morning snack included. A mid-morning snack tends to be more common than in the afternoon because people wake up around 5:00 AM, lunch at noon, and sleep by 8:00 or 9:00 PM.

Sakafo Maraina (Breakfast):
Sweetened coffee or milk with either baguettes and butter, corn soup, cassava soup, a scrambled egg over rice, French fries over rice, peanut butter over rice, beans and rice, mofo balls (deep fried sweetened batter), or mofo Malagasy (similar to unsweetened pancakes).

Snacks:
Baguettes, crackers, deep fried bananas, deep fried peppers, deep fried batter with veggies, pasta salad, meatballs, or mofo balls.

Sakafo Atoandro (Lunch):
Rice and…….Pork or beef, fish(cooked or fried), greens, southern style, beans, lentils, pasta, chicken, cold carrot/cucumber/pepper/onion/tomato salad, and fruit for dessert, usually bananas, sweet persimmons, or pineapple.

Sakafo Harivo (Dinner):
Rice and …….. all of the same toppings listed for lunch, veggie soup with ramen noodles and sometimes meat thrown in, or misao (stir-fry over pasta) and a similar dessert of some type of in season fruit.

Drinks:
Coffee, tea, milk, soda, bottled water, jolly juice (similar to kool-aid), fruit juice, alcohol, beer, moonshine, and the most popular, rice water (water is boiled in the pan with the rice stuck to the bottom and sides and flavors the water) This last one is an acquired tastes, but boy has it grown on me, and the more burnt the rice, the better!

Life on the Edge (of a giant island!): Settling In

2011-07-12T07:28:00.000-04:00

Ranamafana National Park on the way to site

Farafangana is a great place for me to have been assigned for a multitude of reasons. It is fairly hot here, even in the cooler season, so much so that when it dips down to 65 in the evenings I’m ready to grab a long sleeve or sweatshirt even. And life just tends to move slower when it’s this hot so clearly that is right up my alley. And coastal areas also tend to be friendlier, or are at least more willing to share a conversation, the way folks in the Southern US are. Though I fully anticipated living in a fairly rural and potentially remote village right up until receiving my placement here, I’m pleased with the ‘larger’ size of the town. Though it requires more of an effort to get to know people and speak Malagasy more often, you can, however, buy most things here and there’s great cell phone reception (as opposed to the friends who have to go to a certain spot in their village to check texts and make calls or walk 4 miles just to catch a taxi-brousse into a town like this).

To top it off, it is on the beach, though a 15 min bike ride to the good beach with great waves that is generally deserted with the exception of cattle farmers passing through with their herds because relaxing or playing at the beach is not part of Malagasy culture. There is a main drag in town that is paved but everything else was formerly paved 50-60 years ago and has since crumbled and is now filled with sand and dirt. Most commercial or government buildings are concrete with tin roofs though houses are made of ravanala, the type of palm tree commonly found here.

This area of the country is quite poor though. Maybe half of the people out and about don’t have shoes, not even flip-flops. The women wear lambas, which look similar to table clothes that they wrap around as skirts. And there is one skill that many Gasies have that I’ll be tickled to ever master which is the ability to carry stuff, anything really, on their heads in baskets or buckets.

I haven’t begun to work specifically on business projects and trainings yet and won’t basically for the first 3 months because this settling in period is really more useful for learning the language, learning the city and area, as well as integrating into the community.

WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES…UPHILL BOTH WAYS

2011-04-06T01:53:00.000-04:00

I’m loving Madagascar! Peace Corps Training is the most structured part of this experience. It is also one of the most intense and busiest phases of the 27 months. Possibly the most demanding, depending on whom you ask. The main focus of these 2 months is to lay a foundation that enables us as volunteers to integrate once we are at our sites. The emphasis of course is on language, with other supplementary cultural and technical training. And it’s turning out that I may just have a knack for Malagasy. Who knew?!?

But allow me to walk you through a ‘typical’ day here while living with my host family (with whom I’m completely smitten). The alarm goes off at 5 am and for purposes of making myself look good, let’s pretend I actually get up then and go for a ‘jog’ instead of hitting snooze and sleeping in until 6. In this short, 30 minute out-and-back, I hit 2 vistas and get plenty of hill-work in and if I’m lucky I can head to the top of the ‘hill’ behind my house to catch the morning sun burning off the fog from the valleys below. The sunrise is to say nothing shy of breathtaking. It’s a little unreal. I really wish I could better describe the lush landscape that sets the backdrop to any scene because of the way the hills surround us everywhere. Even if I can post pictures, 1,000 words are not enough.

So I can usually squeeze in a bucket bath before breakfast at 6:30. It is said that in Germany you can set your watch to the trains, but you can do so to the meals in Madagascar. Breakfast might be really salty eggs over rice with a cup of coffee, and on good days, a cup of hot milk with sugar. I usually try to help out my host mom and 15 year-old sister by washing dishes either after breakfast or lunch.

Then it’s off to language class with 2 -3 other trainees at someone’s host family. I’ve forgotten to mention the Kabone, which is like an outhouse, but is just a hole in the ground. It’s really not that bad. But we each go back home for lunch after class and have 2 hours until returning for bigger group classes on culture, doing business in Madagascar, etc. This is the point I’m going to attempt to describe the walk to and from home. It takes 5-10 mins to get to class, but there is a significant altitude change in there. This allows for the glorious views mentioned above but I also work up a good sweat each time up. And the path is not paved but is more of a hard dirt, almost clay-like, and grassy, so in the dewy mornings, trekking downhill can be quite treacherous. But hey, we’ve got to keep it exciting J

Back for lunch, we’ll eat rice with a side dish or two served on top. Salted meat with greens is becoming one of my favorites and we always have fruit for dessert. Since getting clean drinking water is difficult here and filters and chlorine are not the cultural norm, the Gasies (people of Madagascar) don’t really drink much at all. Though boiled rice water is popular. Seems to be an acquired taste that has yet to grow on me personally. Ranonampango- Google it if you’re curious.

Rainy season is ending so there may or may not be an afternoon shower and it’s been raining less at night but the temps are next to perfect…in the shade. The particular malaria medication I’m on increases sunburns, so I practically bathe in sunblock. Hey Mom, can you go ahead and schedule an appointment with a dermatologist for me in 2 years. I’m only partially joking about that one.

There is designated personal study time for about an hour after the afternoon class, but this is social hour for most trainees. It should be pointed out that our stage consists of 39 trainees, half of whom are business volunteers, the other half environmental and I’m already more that quite fond of this group. After happy hour, it’s back home before dark. My family helps me study or just practice speaking in general. We have a grand ole time and to my great relief, the Gasies have a great sense of humor that is a bit silly. I feel right at home. And luckily my host family has electricity so we have dinner around 7:30 and then it’s off to bed under my princess canopy-like mosquito net by about 8 or so.

Staging in Philadelphia

2011-02-28T11:27:00.000-05:00

The adventure has begun! I landed in Philly yesterday afternoon and everything has gotten off to a smooth start. This training group seems like it’s going to be exponentially awesome. We went to the clinic this morning to get our Yellow Fever vaccination and rumor has it we’ll be getting 13 more when we get to Mada!

Turns out I was a 'light packer' compared to some of the volunteers and have successfully hauled a 40 lb camping pack, 25 lb book bag and a smallish purse around an airport and hotel. Hmm, what did I forget?

This may or may not end up being the only post during training over the next two and a half months since we hop on a bus at 2 AM tonight/tomorrow morning to drive to JFK and fly out to South Africa. That flight will last approximately 15 hrs and will take us in to Wed. From there it will be skipping over to Antananarivo and finally driving out to Mantasoa, where the training center is. The next few days are are jam packed will it will probably consume the rest of the week settling in. I'll only be living with a host family for about a month, then will spend a week checking out an actual site somewhere in the country. After that it will be the last 4-5 weeks of training living at/near the training center.

By May I should be getting to site and hopefully be able to more regularly find the interwebs. Until then I will be safe and you better believe I'll have fun!

“Why are you joining the Peace Corps?”

2011-02-21T09:07:00.000-05:00

“Because I am an adventure-seeking public servant.”

The Peace Corps celebrates its 50^th anniversary this year (2011) and I find it very appropriate that the senator responsible for the birth of the program later challenged a nation during his inaugural speech with “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” The challenge President Kennedy set forth still resonates strongly with me. Joining the Peace Corps appeals to my sense of duty as an American on the world’s stage, representing a real image of America that is so often distorted by MTV culture. As a Catholic, the call to serve others is ongoing and this is an extreme approach to helping those in need. From childhood on I knew I wanted to make a difference in a meaningful way and moving to Madagascar for two years to work with small business development is the perfect opportunity to truly affect a community with a strong need. In this attempt to help change lives for the better, I cannot readily predict how my own will be changed.

The Peace Corps experience consists of three elements that compliment the current state of my personal and professional development. The Peace Corps triple threat consists of work experience, international experience, and community development. The work experience component is at this point more important to me than continuing education in a classroom or structured learning setting. Secondly, I love Kentucky, but there’s a big ‘ol world out there waiting to be experienced. Spending a few months in Germany only sparked the desire to learn about other and more diverse cultures around the world. Finally, the community development aspect rounds out my quest to make a difference through a career and working towards economic and societal progress in the developing world is the most direct approach.

Several very distinct influences have helped to carve out this particular path. Though I had no hand in selecting Madagascar, taking deciding to take French over a decade ago helped pave the way to an African assignment and I could not be more ecstatic about the location. More broadly, in high school I was swept away by activism and current events. And it was Service to the South, a KY YMCA sponsored trip around the Southern US focusing on community service and the Civil Rights Movement, that so deeply ingrained a lifelong passion for intensive community empowerment. This notion was re-enforced through two additional service trips to the Greater New Orleans areas while in college. Turns out I get my kicks from enabling others to succeed.

Madagascar

2010-12-17T17:43:00.000-05:00

Wikipedia really is the best resource for info on Madagascar, but here's a snapshot of my future home!

Madagascar is the 4th largest island on Earth (roughly 2X the size of Arizona)
Capital City- Antananarivo (Affectionately called ‘Tana’)
Population is approximately 20 mil
Malagasy and French are the official languages
Split from Africa 160 mil years ago and the Indian sub-continent 100 mil years ago, isolating biodiversity
80% of the flora and fauna found in Madagascar can be found nowhere else in the world
Original island inhabitants were Austronesian seafarers around 300 AD, African settlers soon followed across the Mozambique Channel
Religious groups- 50% traditional, 45% Christian, 5% Muslim

Ring-tailed lemurs

Nearly half of all chameleon species reside in Madagascar

Baobab trees

Tomato frog

Peace Corps Assignment.....and Re-assignment

2010-12-08T17:11:00.001-05:00

After waiting 9 months for the details of a Peace Corps assignment, I could not have been more excited to receive that big blue envelope with a business development assignment to Guinea leaving Dec 2. After weeks of research, planning, and preparation, it was extremely disappointing to receive a call stating the Guinea start date would be delayed 6 weeks due to the political unrest from the highly contested presidential election recently held. About 20 volunteers have been in touch at this point and we we're all a bit crestfallen at this news.

6 weeks of sitting tight, with no job. It's just extra preparation for the next 2 years, right?! But at least we're home for Christmas!!

Days before our original departure date, the call comes notifying each of us the program has been cancelled. I've never been so disappointed in my life. It was still too early for the Peace Corps to determine the state of political tensions and there was much doubt at 2 years of stability in the area.

Less than 24 hours after hitting a low emotional point, another assignment was has already been offered. Small business development starting at the end of Feb, in MADAGASCAR!!! Looks like a handful of the original Guinea group are heading to the 4th largest island in the world. Woohoo!

My Ironman Experience

2010-11-12T14:31:00.004-05:00

The Ironman is such a colossal physical event that the day of the race is only but a small portion of the event. The hours upon hours put in on a bike, in the pool, and on the pavement along with the sacrifices taken for over a year are just as an important part of Ironman because it is in fact not just a race, but a lifestyle and part of who we the racers are and become. There were times as the August 29^th race date approached that could choke me up and bring my eyes to a watery state just at the mention of Ironman and the thought of crossing the line, a threshold into the impossible. Inasmuch as I read blogs and books, watched inspirational youtube videos and spoke with previous Ironmen, nothing can truly prepare you for your first Ironman.

The very first triathlon I ever attempted was a half-ironman distance race after a mere 5 months of training. I’ve never been so anxious and nervous in my life as the 2 days before that race. With much more experience and confidence, pre-race jitters hit at the beginning of the last week of August. But with a 14+hour race consisting of three sports, there are so many things that can go wrong. Each athlete can review their past year and point out all of the coulda’s and shoulda’s with training, but part of the mental preparation includes trusting your training plan and simply pushing out any negative thoughts. So in the days leading up, somehow I was able to remain calm and collected.

Registration and equipment check in was a bit flustering, making sure everything needed on race day was there, getting everything done within the necessary time frames while juggling work. Not to mention seeing volumes of lean, Greek-god-and-goddess-like bodies with the identifying blue wristbands was just slightly intimidating.

The morning of the race began at 4:20. For once there wasn’t even a fleeting desire to hit snooze. Since the equipment was already arranged, the only possessions necessary were swim gear, warm up clothes, and the race chip. It was the trusty banana/peanut butter combo for breakfast then a quick trip to Paige’s apt, where she, Kali and Sandra were also gearing up. We made our way down to park our cars at the Waterfront and trekked in the dark to the Tumbleweed docks for the swim start.

Marked with our race #’s and age, we got in line, with props to Paige, near the front of the 3,000 person line. The excitement was palpable as the dawn broke around the Ohio River. Paige’s family was there to send us off. At 6:50 the 40 or so pros took off. The national anthem was played followed by Stephen Foster’s ‘My Ole Kentucky Home’ before the cannon, signaling the official 7:00 start time of the 2010 Louisville Ironman.

Paige and I’s 7 minute wait in line alternated between standing still and jostling down the ramp and breaking into a shuffle down the dock. I wouldn’t see Paige again for another 11 hours or so. It was feet first into the tepid 71 degree water. Those first 10 minutes in the choppy water were nerve-wracking. Not only could I not find a good rhythm, I was also breathing on every right stroke instead of every third or 5^th stroke and Ohio Rive water kept splashing in my mouth. Not a good way to start. But once athletes began to disperse, the water flattened and it was just like being like practice. Except you can only see a greenish cloud and red and white caps bobbing just above the surface. The first third was upstream in a weak current with those tricky buoys that just kept appearing. After the turn around the glimpses of barges to the left and the very distant right bank were not expected. The best part of the swim leg was going directly under both the train and I65 bridges and getting a truly unique view of downtown. I did get a side stitch as expected, had to kick through a toe cramp within the last 500 meters, and was only kicked in the face 3 times. In an hour and 42 minutes I was out of the water, jogging to the transition. Even though that is a relatively slow time, with such an early start there were still literally hundreds of athletes swirling in.

It’s still before 9, I’m feeling great, and already the first leg was completed. I was riding high, mainly on adrenaline egged on by the hoards of cheering fans around the transition area. I was right on target with my estimated time frame as the first transition went smoothly. The sunscreen slathered on by volunteers obscured the 106’s on my arm. Would my family and friends out on the course still see me when I passed?

The bike began comfortable temperature-wise. And for once there were still at least half the bikes still on the racks when I left! The course starts out for the first 15 miles very flat so the speeds of races varied tremendously from the speed demons hitting 25+ mph to those I was passing rather easily. A concern I had was fueling right off the swim since usually it’s pretty sensitive, but fueling immediately is crucial on the bike. Sipping Gatorade hit the spot though and I was riding strong at the start of the rollers. The 1694 out and back is the only major climbs and it’s a good thing they’re at the beginning. I knew those hills well and paced well, but was worried about getting drained on the rollers that follow but surprised myself by staying strong throughout the 112 mi course. The first loop was highly populated by cyclist and even pro’s were still on their second loop. The cheering sections were amped up the energy level. Sandra was in LaGrange with her press pass and fancy camera shooting some great shots!

The second loop was of course more trying and knowing which mile marker of the 40 and 70 posted was for me felt relieving. The first go around in LaGrange with the large cheering tunnel, I sped up trying to show off, trying to look really fast, but the second time I slowed down to soak in the attention. I’ve ridden most of the course on different routes dozens of times and that back section of 42 is the just the worst. Coming back the second time I was cursing under my breath, convinced my pace had slowed to something like 14 miles an hour. It always seems to last much longer than it should to boot. Finally I was on the straight stretch back into town. Fueling was going well and I was feeling like a triathlete maniac by now. It was reaching the low 90’s by now and humidity levels might have matched. That was a huge benefit of training in Kentucky all summer in hellish conditions. I feel for the fallen athletes littering the side of 42 on the way back, submitting to the defeat of racing in such conditions.

The last 15 flat miles back were a God-send, but nearly 7 hours on a bike has its implications. Namely hot foot, sore sit-bones, and general fatigue, despite adrenaline still surging. I’m not sure I’ve wanted to run so badly than on river road, knowing that was what it would take to get off the bike.

In that last bike stretch, I saw my pops, mom, brother, sis-in-law, neph, and was surprised by an out of town aunt. Seeing personal supporters provides a huge boost, mentally and physically. The transition was again smooth, though 2 mins longer at 8. I was surprisingly right on track with time estimates. The first half mile of running was awesome, and Russell ran with me for a block or 2. I felt like a rockstar. Then it was like a ton of brick hit. Breathing was a task in the heat and humidity. Running was extremely labored, and the balls of my feet felt like I’d been wearing high heels for the past 8 hours. Crossing the Second St. Bridge within the first mile shared too many similarities with how it felt during the Derby Marathon back in April, when it can at mile 25. It began to sink in that the next 25 miles were going to be very, very long.

At least it was a flat course for the most part. The sun blazing began to burn the top of my legs that hadn’t been replenished with sunscreen. I was chaffing, blisters were forming on both feet, and the question become whether it was more painful to run or walk. It was slightly disheartening to see even the pros walking, but comforting at the same time. I must have walked half of the first lap and began doing the math in my addled brain on whether on not I would before the cutoff. The first lap was absolutely the toughest part of the race. I talked up a few others along the way that provided a helpful distraction, including a guy from Vegas who was on his 17^th Ironman and said this was the hardest.

The second lap was a game changer though. The sun began to go down, and though it didn’t cool down that much or quickly, it did bring mental relief. Only 12 or so more miles! My girls Charity and Cara along with Erica walked with me as a second wind came on. That was it, I was ready to run! From Broadway on, I manage to keep a pace that involved running from aid station to aid station, but walking up to each, placed about a mile apart. By this second round, I was drinking coke, water, sport drink, and even chicken broth. Somehow, I managed to complete an entire marathon on drinks and 2 gels plus a few grapes and pretzels along the way. There was a woman, Kristin if I can recall, from NC who ran with me for 6 miles. We paced and pushed each other while chatting like old friends. I really owe her a huge thanks.

At one of the aid stations somebody was handing out glow sticks. Why the hell not! Half an ounce isn’t going to destroy my finishing time : ) Along the way I passed friends Jimmie and Paige both twice. I’ve never been so glad to see familiar faces. That final 4 mile stretch was so incredibly painful, along with the other 22 miles, but what a relief to be in the home stretch! The signs held up were encouraging and just plain touching.

Running into the bright lights of Fourth Street Live was so incredible. But at the same time I was looking down at the cobblestones making sure not to trip. Russell and Erica ran at my side for a block, right up to the chute. Then it came. “Maria Wimsatt, you are an Ironman.”

I can't tell you how many times I've envisioned crossing the finish line, imaging what it would feel like. Doing it was a little different. It was satisfying, relieving, painful, amazing, but so overwhelmingly exhausting that it was hard to feel anything in particular. I cried for a few seconds, then started shaking a bit. The one thing that surprised me most was the subtle feeling of have just lost a little part of myself. It was over. I’ve been basically living around this one day for the past year and as incredibly satisfying as it was to accomplish that goal, 14:49:35 hours later, it was over. But more importantly-

Impossible has officially been eliminated from my vocabulary :)

Earth Day 09!!

2009-04-22T16:51:00.002-04:00

Because it is Earth Day 09, the best and easiest thing to do today is enjoy it! For those lucky enough to live in Louisville, you already know it's a beautiful, sunny 66. My suggestion is to hit up any number of city or state parks around town. The park system here is considered one of the best in the country. The founding landscape architect responsible for the likes of Cherokee and others, Frederick L Olmstead, also designed Central Park in NYC.

Pack a lunch, take a book, or a friend, but go and show Motha Nature some lovin'.

Because we all eat chips...

2009-03-25T19:02:00.004-04:00

Organic, natural, and green claims made by Frito-Lay along with other corporations like its parent company, Pepsico, can be easy to disregard. The very scale and mass consumption that makes companies like these successful multinational corporations goes against the notion that 'Thinking globally, acting locally; is where being environmentally friendly is rooted. So Frito-Lay deserves some recognition for stepping it up and taking initiatives.

I'm going to point out what I thinks are the 2 most impressive measures. First is their goal of decreasing water and electricity consumption by 20% and fuel consumption by 25% per unit of production by 2015 (based on 2006 consumption).

Secondly is the Sun Chips manufacturing plant in Modesto, CA. Though it is only one of eight Sun Chips plants, it is outfitted with solar panels, offsetting its carbon footprint. And very appropriate for Sun Chips of course :D

Core-less Toilet Paper: Smart and Simple

2009-01-08T20:52:00.001-05:00

While visiting a friend over coffee recently, I discovered a great innovation of a old product. All Heine Brothers coffee shops are using toilet paper rolls that are made without the core cardboard roll. Props to the person at Georgia-Pacific who came up with this idea. Not only does this TP reduce wastes by eliminating the core, the packaging for 36 rolls has 15% less waste than non-COMPACT designs. The tissue itself also contains at least 20% Post-consumer Recycled Fiber.

This form of idea generation, one that questions the norm and challenges convention is quite captivating. Because of the sheer volume of TP consumed daily, the design update represented here can have a noticeable impact on reducing wastes; Even if only businesses and public restrooms embraced the product.

That, my friends, is reinventing the wheel.

Untapped market segment

2008-12-29T17:39:00.002-05:00

There may actually be a name for this market segment, I just don't know it yet. The industry I'm referring to is green and sustainable. Since the technologies are relatively new and quickly emerging, it's still in the early growth stage of the product/industry life cycle. The trend is spreading rapidly, especially for business and home-owners. What isn't particularly prevalent are well designed goods and services available en masse to consumers. Personally, as an apartment renting 24 y.o., solar panels and carbon offsets are great, but not for me. I think we will soon be seeing some environmentally friendly products geared towards the 18 - 34 group that are simply cool.

soundcheck....soundcheck

2008-12-27T22:14:00.000-05:00

Anyone who's had the pleasure of living in or even just visiting Kentucky should be familiar with the old saying, "If you don't like the weather here, stick around awhile, it'll change." This week epitomizes that saying and might just get the Goldenrod state admitted into the Tornado Alley club. This past Monday ended on a cold note, at a freezing 5 degrees. Wednesday brought torrential rains measuring roughly 8 inches in 14 hours. By Saturday, it was windy, but in the 70's! Did I mention this was the week of Christmas?!