By Michelle Kruse

I want to congratulate my training “buddy.” She placed eighth overall and won her age group at a large triathlon this weekend. She is one amazing cyclist and has really taught me a lot over the last eight months. She’s also a really fast runner and pushes me to do my best. I’m lucky to have a friend and partner in crime for ridiculously long runs, pouring down rain runs, snowy runs, and even the great runs. She even understands when I want an all-by-myself run. If only everyone could have a workout buddy like mine.

Just the other day, I overheard an office conversation discussing the value of workout buddies and said conversant wishing she had one. It’s easy to find people who want to work out and get fit, but it isn’t so easy to find someone who meets your pace, your schedule, your goals, and your fitness level. Finding a good training partner is kind of like finding a spouse. You have to test them and sometimes the relationship doesn’t always work out.

If you’re serious about finding a training/work out partner, there are some safe and other not-so-safe ways to find one. If you’re a runner, your first step should be to contact your local running club. Join them for a weekend group run and ask about weekday runs. Running clubs, triathlon clubs, even walking clubs sponsor training sessions year-round. Don’t be afraid to join them – we all started somewhere. Local charity runs are great places to meet fellow runners (even walkers). With the exception of elites and those in the race to win it all, most of us are a pretty friendly bunch. The people who do charity races are out there simply to support a good cause and to get fit while doing it. And, most of the time, the people you’ll meet live right there in the community. Strike up a conversation. You never know who you’ll meet that way. (I’ve actually made a couple of good friends at races and had really interesting conversations at others.)

By Michelle Kruse

Sometime this month (I’m not sure of the exact date); I’ll celebrate a major anniversary. Okay, so it’s not the kind of thing most people think of as a cause for celebration, but it’s something I never would have thought could happen. I drank my last sip of pop (soda to non-Midwesterners), sometime last August. I didn’t really plan to quit drinking it completely. In fact, I’d weaned myself to so little that it wasn’t until last October that I realized I hadn’t had one or wanted one in over two months. This may not seem too amazing until I tell you that I used to drink at least six cans of diet soda a day. In college, I’m not sure I had water except when brushing my teeth. I used to hate working out and would cramp-up every time I tried to run. Needless to say, I never considered myself athletic, surely in some part due to dehydration. I never drank water. In fact, I used to crack a soda after swim practice in high school. No wonder I always felt crappy – and could it be a reason I never had perfectly clear skin?

So how did I do it? When I first started training for and running in triathlons, I realized I performed better when my diet was better (duh). I also took Joan’s advice and stopped drinking caffeine past noon. My sleep quality instantly improved (no more insomnia) and I didn’t have the time for soda. Eventually I was down to not being able to drink a whole can and having one every other day at most. I also started to feel like every time I sipped a diet coke my insides were corroding. Probably true. Then, I just stopped craving it altogether.

I was discussing my milestone with Joan yesterday and she brought up a fascinating study. Note, this study was conducted on rats, not humans, but still: The study actually linked lung cancer to phosphate intake. Diet pop and lung cancer. Scary stuff.

Life without soda is far from all-water boring. I drink a variety of teas (green was an acquired taste – now I love it), a CardioWhey mixed with skim milk or almond milk every day and, of course, I get enough water. When you’re actually drinking the amount of water you should every day, you’re rarely thirsty for anything else.

By Michelle Kruse

There can’t be a better way to start the day than by enjoying the morning sky from a mountaintop. The only thing that made it better was the feeling of accomplishment to go along with the view… having run five miles, in the company of my brother, to witness this wonderful sight.

We’ve just spent several days in Rocky Mountain National Park and are now in Golden, CO visiting my sister and my brother and his wife. My parents are here, too. The whole day has been great. And, to top it off, today is my birthday (a milestone age) and I get to spend it with my family and one of my very best friends.

I think birthdays are the perfect time to reflect on the year’s accomplishments. So far, this has been a great year and I’ve accomplished quite a few things on my to-do list in the past year: two marathons, four triathlons (including the half-Ironman), sending my baby to kindergarten and loving life with my kids, my husband, family and friends old and new. We’re staying happy and healthy. What a truly great year it has been!

But, I also think it’s important to make new goals, especially after reflecting on the ones you’ve accomplished. Everyone says if you want to accomplish something, make sure you tell people (and this goes for anything – losing weight, running your first 5K, etc.). It holds you accountable. So, here goes.

In the past year, I’ve made so many great strides with my running and training routine that I really want to keep pushing myself. This year, I’d like to run a Boston qualifying marathon and improve my time in the sprint and Olympic distance tri (not sure if I’ll have the time to train for another 70.3 this year). I’m also thinking about a late-September marathon. Since I’m already running long distances, I can be ready by then, (I haven’t stopped training and am still working out with my girlfriend who is training for the full Ironman in November). I’ll post my training plan later this week.

Will having this in writing help me meet my goals and reach that mountaintop? I hope so, since the view is always better when you worked to get there.