Week 8 - (Swim 1, Bike 0, Run 0)

Wait what?  That is just terrible...with just one week to go until the Indoor Tri...only 1 swim?  Only two visits to see Gym for the week?  I learned a valuable lesson this week.  Don't push it.  Rest.  A head cold hit me out of nowhere on Sunday...I tried to swim a bit on Tuesday...and by Wednesday...I accepted that I needed to take it easy.  It was better to rest...then risk being too sick (or more miserable than necessary) to do the Indoor Tri.  So rest I did...no dates with Gym until Saturday AM.  Well...on Wednesday I went to the Circus after work.  I had never been to the circus before.  I will probably never go again.  There was a lot of content to take in.  I'm glad I can check it off the "to do" list.  I did get an idea for a novel out of it...so a mental note has been made for future reference.

8 hour Work Days this Week (4):  Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday

Spolier Alert:  My cold cleared...and I did the Indoor Tri...my goal was to run not walk...I nailed it!! 

  

Week 7 - (Swim 2, Bike 2, Run 2.5)

And then you are just down to one week before the big event!!  Despite the St. Paddy's celebrating and soccer watching at the pub...it was still a good training week and my nutrition has been on point.  I'm doing what I should be doing...checking my blood sugar...counting carbs...and no surprise...all my numbers are looking much better.  I know that it doesn't define me...but when my blood sugars are good...I feel better about myself.  (Truth - I still feel like I am a failure when my blood sugar is high.  So...you know...I feel like a failure a lot.)  Everything went according to plan training wise...except for the start of the week...Sunday is a running day...but I was having fun in Annapolis.  I walked for 2.5 hours...so I gave myself a (.5) for that one.  Truth be told, I think the Indoor Tri is going to be rough...I know I have been training...but I am still struggling when I bike and then run.  My goal this go around was to run the entire time...no walking...so I will need to push hard and focus.  10 min Swim. 30 min Bike. 20 min Run.  I can totally do this!!     

8 hour Work Days this Week (3):  Monday, Thursday, and Friday

Spolier Alert:  Week 8 of training will be complicated by a crummy, gross cold...

On my nutrition game...stress eating at work...

In the Counting Down...Three Years Ago Tonight...

Does each year get easier?  Maybe.  Does the level of missing diminish?  Not that I can tell...but I think that it is a good thing...it is all the love...it never stops.  In the first year of missing someone...you mark the day they left with every passing month. We did this with Grandpa (December 14, 2007) in our Year of Firsts in 2008.  We did this with Grandma too (March 18, 2011)...in our Year of Firsts in 2011/2012.  The span of time between December and March is always tough...I think because as much as you want to remember all of the time before...you hold the time during closer...the last months, weeks, days, and hours.  I was lucky to have that time with both...that doesn't always happen.  It is a sacred space...but you have to keep moving forward...no dwelling allowed.  That is not what my Grandma would want.  

Three years ago tonight, my Grandma was finally free to dance among the clouds.  She would want me to be smiling (check), wearing my hair down - because you look prettier that way (check), enjoying an alcoholic beverage (check), and being happy (check).    

Week 6 - Indoor Tri (Swim 2, Bike 2, Run 2)

All in all it was a good training week...and just like that...I'm only two weeks away from the big event!!  I am excited.  My only nervousness is in the transition times between events...especially after the swim.  I need to do speed drills...I am too SLOW.  I was able to shuffle things around a bit this week given a crazier than usual schedule...and I managed to get every required workout done (and still work only 8 hours on 4 out of 5 days).  Even after working really late on Thursday...I still made it to Virgina for a good swim and run.  For the love of the beautiful game...I woke up extra early on Saturday AM so that I could get to the gym and have a good strength training workout before my first soccer game of the day started at 7:45am.

You would think that soccer fandom would cut into my training time...but now that the DC United Season has started up again...I will actually flip back to being even more on my game.  Especially on the weekends.  It is not just the motivation of watching soccer live...but in having to manage my time better.  I have to admit, the one thing that will be better about this season is that I will not be completely exhausted and struggling to walk for almost all of the home matches.  I never missed a game...no matter how many miles I had to get...even 26 of them didn't hold me back. 

 8 hour Work Days this Week (4):  Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday

Back at home...

That Other Thing I Do (Write...Right?)...

I have been thinking a lot about time...making better use of it...respecting it...trying not to waste it.  One of my friends called me out on something a few weeks ago...as I was talking about my training for the Indoor Tri...they said that it seemed like I was filling my time with yet another race instead of focusing on other things that I should be giving more attention too.  There may be a point to that...but there are worse things to fill my time with.  For example, working longer hours at work (been there and working to correct that) or consuming an enormous amount of carbs (been there and will not do that again).   As I get better at working only 8 hour days, I will have more time.  All of that time doesn't need to be soaked up on dates with Gym. 

So in the funny way life works, I ran into a work colleague today.  They also write.  They were pestering me about my writing.  They were insisting that I make time to do it everyday...even if just for 15 minutes...even if I am just editing.  I suddenly remembered...yes...writing...that other thing I do.  The thing I would love to do every day...day in and day out.  The thing I really wanted to do when I grew up...to be a writer/novelist.  One of my dreams.  Other than blogging...I am not doing anything to make it happen.  

This needs to change.  I know that if I work at it, I can do it.  I do have a track record for accomplishing my other dreams...

*  Get Driver's License on 16th Birthday

*  Get an A on my High School English Term Paper

*  Get a Government Job (to pay for school and to have health insurance)

*  Have a Job Keeping Important Papers Organized (I was a weird kid...what can I say?)

*  Volunteer at Camp Fantastic (and a few years later...to get dinner time Med Line to run efficiently)

*  Finish a Marathon      

Why should being a novelist be any different?  There are (of course) other dreams on my list.  Your life should always be filled with them, right?  Otherwise...what is the point?  

Week 5 - Indoor Tri (Swim 2, Bike 2, Run 2)

A little bit of snow still at the Soccer Plex...

This week compared to last week was a whole new world...it was almost perfect.  For some reason, I have not been on my strength training game.  I'm starting to think that maybe it is because I am enjoying the swimming so much.  It clears my head in much the same way that strength training does.  I'll go with that.  I'm still happy with my progress this week.  Instead of strength training on Wednesday...I got some good quality time with the Elliptical Machine.  It felt really good.  The other thing I did this week was take my Rest Days.  It also helped I think.  

My one lesson...wasn't really a lesson at all.  It was a verification of what I did for the half and full marathon training.  I never wore heels...it was the hardest part of training.  On Thursday I wore my favorite high heeled boots...and then did a swim / run.  Big Mistake.  I will not do that again.  I am allowing myself to wear fun shoes...but I should not do so on days when I need to run.  Noted.  

I'm feeling really good.  I hit the Maryland Soccer Plex on Sunday AM for a nice run...the weather was perfect...shorts and tee shirt weather but there was still snow on the ground.  I loved it.  I saw VA Gym twice to get in two swims...I even had my own swim lane both days!!  This was also the first week that I had zero skips on my plan...all X's across the board.  That always feels good.  There is definitely a relationship now between my success in getting to the gym and the hours I put in at work.  If nothing else, the added two hours of travel to swim has helped me to prioritize my time better.  I think this is a good thing.

8 hour Work Days this Week (5):  Yep...Monday - Friday!!!

Week 5 - Nailed It!!!