- My kids start back to school on Monday. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I am about to get my daily training time back. Also, life will be more of a routine and less of a summer free-for-all.
- I have been training as consistently as possible given my time constraints and I feel really strong right now. My hip is feeling fine and all my other joints have stopped screaming at me. I could use a serious massage but I am not in pain.
- I am looking forward to this coming semester without major teaching anxiety. I think my math class this semester is going to be fun and I am excited about earning a little extra money.
- Travel plans are set for my next race. Taking the whole family for a long weekend in mountain cabin actually sounds like fun. I am excited that there are plenty of friends racing with me so I won’t be the only one stressing. See San Diego race report.
- I am signed up and am excited about a Sports Nutrition course. This just feels like the start of something. Up to this point I have been plagued by self-doubt about pursuing my interest in the fitness arena. Feelings of inadequacy have pretty much subsided and I just feel like I might as well check it out and see what happens. It is the same way I felt before finally joining the Tri Girls. That has worked out for the best.
- I have found a moment of peace with my body and body image. I am not where I necessarily want to be weight wise but my body is working for me. I am tired of stressing about food. I have a new goal that doesn’t include dieting. I hate dieting and waiting on the scale to move. I actually haven’t been on the scale in a few weeks. It isn’t worth it to me right now. I am more concerned with being race-ready on Sept. 8th. That is priority #1. I will, however, need to incorporate some solid nutrition to get me to that point. Nutrition is not dieting.
I truly feel like I’ve had a perspective change. Life looks different. Maybe it is a confidence boost that I earned from my better than expected experience in San Diego. Maybe my mental health is just in a better place. Maybe I’ve decided to focus on new goals. Whatever it is, I am going to enjoy it.
So, what is the action plan from this point forward?
First, I will be training like I have never trained before to be ready for my Olympic distance debut on September 8. I will be consistent and purposeful. I have the luxury of time and enough knowledge to make this race a positive experience. My race goal is simple. I want to finish strong. I don’t care about time, I don’t care about placement, and I just want to enjoy the experience. I don’t know, yet, how my body is going to respond to 3 or so hours of racing.
Second, I will relearn how to enjoy food. While I will not diet, I am going to be making a conscious effort to limit my sugar intake. Sugar is not my friend. Sugar acts like my friend but then just abuses me and leaves me feeling icky. I refuse to deny myself but I also want to make sure that I am not eating impulsively. It is a goal. It will take work. I also want to learn how to cook real food. It seems like every time I get on a “learn to cook” mission it is so I can make diet food. The food generally sucks and I never make it again. This time I want to make food that is not processed garbage but rather filling nutrient-dense foods that leave me satisfied. Two meals a week seem reasonable. I can build from that point.
Third, I need a real schedule. The benefit of not having full time job outside of my home is that I can do whatever I want whenever I want. The reality is that I rarely get anything done. It is too easy to just push things off. So, I am going to try to set up a weekly family schedule that includes everything that needs to get done each week. I also really need to get my entire family on a schedule so that each day is more routine and less chaotic. Sometimes I think I make my life harder than it needs to be by being the only person in the family with a clear idea of what has to happen each day. I need to remember that everyone else isn’t on the same page and they can’t read my mind. This will also help to ensure that my training time isn’t spent taking care of miscellaneous stuff that just builds up and I will have time set aside for cooking.
Finally, I am gearing up to complete a fairly extensive list of races for the Fall and Winter. My tentative race schedule is as follows;
- Deuces Wild Olympic Triathlon Sept. 8
- Thin Mint Sprint 5k Sept. 29
- Tinfoilman Sprint Triathlon Oct. 14
- “Wine Run” 5k Oct. 20
- Women’s Half Marathon Nov. 4 (this is very tentative, no commitment yet)
- Tinker Bell Half Marathon Jan. 20
There is a lot going on right now and I’m excited to get going.
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| I've decided that this isn't such a bad picture after all. |
“If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” Henry David Thoreau
