What if you could get what you want without really working that hard for it?

• Would you be afraid to push yourself because you were unprepared?


• Would the race itself be less satisfying?


• Would victory be as sweet?

This question came up in my mind this morning as I was leaving my short recovery workout that was nice, but I part of me wanted to do more, and part of me was happy that I did my entire workout in 45 minutes.



One of the reasons I love triathlon is because it rewards those people like me, hard workers (not always the most talented, but hard workers none the less). Triathlons lend themselves to consistency, both in training and in life outside of training. They are great for those who like variety, but are prone to injury, because the three sports develop different muscles and allow for less pounding and overuse of the same systems over and over again. They require balance, balance in training, recovery and even balance on race day, not overdoing it on one sport to the point you can't function in the rest of the race. The people who can achieve in triathlon are the ones who are consistent, who find balance, who love to train but don't overdo it, who recover when required, and who day in and day out, never lose site of their goals.



With that said, I raced in Philly this past week, and yes, this blog is going somewhere. The other fact about triathlon that I am learning is that every race cannot be an "A" race and sometimes certain races, while always races, are looked at as stepping stones to a larger more grandiose picture. Triathlon requires perspective, if you don't have it, watch out, you're not going to be happy within this sport. Not every athlete is spot on for every race, any day of the week, at any time. There only are so many "A" races in one season for most of us. We have to come to terms with that. For some people that may be easy, for a certain former Big Ten Athlete who was expected to be "on" every meet, it may not be!



The Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon was one of those for me. I'm not going to sit here and write a million reasons, or even excuses, about why I didn't do as well as I wanted. I'm only going to state the facts, I came in underdone (i.e. under-trained), it was a "B" race, and I really don't think I pushed hard enough.



I spent the month of May (3 out of 4 weeks) sick, which does not lend itself to training (which I barely did). Two weeks before Philly was my first week on a regular schedule where I did all of my workouts, then, I tapered a bit the week prior (which felt weird considering I was not tired but I follow the system!). Not all races can be "A" races and Philly was not, so no training, little taper and certainly no speed work = no exceptional performance for a race. Lastly, I had a bit of trouble just staying focused during my two hours and twenty four minutes of racing! At times, I slipped into half ironman mode and just was running at a lower heart rate, pedaling along, enjoying the scenery - WHAT, this race is about to be over, and you're just hanging out!



I'm not disappointed with the outcome, I'm just not overly pleased.

After getting on a school bus to head to the race start, which was in fact my first school bus since being in high school (it was strange! I hated those seats - some things never change!), I got to do a little warming up and chatting with friends before the gun went off. Beth, her husband Oscar, a new friend, Maja (I know I am not spelling that right-sorry!) and Lindsay & her boyfriend and I all stood around and talked which was a nice way to take the pressure off and pass the time. Oscar even let me put my clothes, flip flops and other various items in his HUGE bag before the race so I didn't take a chance on loosing it forever on the infamous buses to nowhere (hopefully, everyone else got their stuff back!). Poor guy had to run all the way back to the swim finish with it! What a friend, cheers for Oscar!!



In the end, I had a decent swim with 141 other 25-29 year olds and at least another 90 or so 40-45 year olds. I got beat around in the start and learned that I had better just start in the front and hold on for dear life rather than start in mid-pack, not be able to swim what I could swim, and in the mean time almost loose my life to a person doing the windmill and trying to strip me of my goggles, cap and even my wetsuit if I stayed that close. I came out of the water after swimming mostly alone (except for the next set of age groupers I caught, always a crazy mess) 24 mins or so later (my time says 25:05 but we had a bit to go before the mat), a decent transition later (wetsuits are NOT fun to get off, I remember how much I hated that part in this race) I was off on the bike.



Dang Wetsuit!!







































Running out of T1



















The bike was a blast, but with the two loop course, the second loop was insane!! Two-thousand or so competitors seemed like millions as I zig-zagged my way through the masses. I rode up the hills well, and probably could have pushed harder on the flats, but as I mentioned, I definitely did some zoning!





A 1:11 bike split isn't horrible, but certainly isn't what I am capable of on a different day with things in place.



It was cloudy which was nice!





























Finally, it was on to the run where I probably felt the best I have ever felt running. Why I didn't run faster considering that fact??, not really sure. That is probably the question everyone asks themselves. It is possible that I had some anxiety left from a crawling finish at St. Croix, don't think so though. I was running at a heart rate of about 180 bpm so that wasn't too high but my average mile was about 7:02, which is not that impressive. Either way, I was happy to see the finish line come into sight with a final time of 2:23:57 and a 3rd place age-group finish.



Enough about my day, two of my MAO teammates were in full effect that day and had amazing races. It was VERY fun seeing them out there doing so well. Beth Shutt, Olympic Distance Extraordinaire, cleaned up on the competition and swim, biked and ran her way to a second overall amateur female podium finish - Way to go Beth!! Lindsay Zemba (also in my age group like Beth), had a really wonderful race considering she just got her Kona slot at Eagleman two weeks ago. I'm excited to get to see her in Kona.



All in all, it was a good day and nothing to complain about. I am always excited to race, healthy and regardless of how pre-pared. It was fun, and I loved the atmosphere. My husband was with me through the 5 hour trip there (and we are still married despite me driving in downtown Philly), the race prep, early morning (4:30am) and the insanely long drive home. He's a saint.



I would never want to do well, if it meant I didn't have to work for it. This race proved that to me because I wasn't spot on my game. I didn't need to be on Sunday. I will need to be on October 11th. So, until then, I'm not going to get worked up. It's about perspective, training, consistency, recovery and then letting it all come together. Hopefully that day, victory will be that much sweeter because of it!

 

Hi everyone!!

How about that weekend?  Now, I'll tell you this, they never last long enough.  I know I would probably get bored if I was home all the time without any work to do, but then again, maybe I wouldn't.  Maybe I would just train and then do volunteer stuff for churches and help kids in the area etc.  Yeah, that's what I would do.  For now though, we are not even close to independently wealthy and the mortgage calls!  Either way, a three day weekend throughout the summer would be ideal - WHO"S WITH ME!

I really can't complain though.  I had an amazing weekend of training and I even didn't freak out when I had to move my scheduled four hour bike ride to Sunday!  The weather was a bit gloomy and raining on Saturday so when I got up bound and determined ready to leave at 7:30am, I had to decide if I thought riding in the cool wet rain for that long of a period sounded like a good plan.  I decided it DID NOT, considering my tendency to get sick and went out for my two hour long run instead.  I had a wonderful long run after a day off on Friday and I was feeling great.  I kept my heart rate in check, but I ran it pretty darn close to the upper aerobic limit the whole time!  What can I say, Mark Allen just tells me not to go over.. that's the deal!

I swam for another 3000 yards after the run and called it a day.  I was feeling a bit tired so I napped and then I realized my entire day was basically built around eating, training & sleeping.. PERFECT!  I wasn't at all sad about that because that is when I really feel I can put the most into my workouts and recovery in the best possible way afterward.   I got up on Sunday to find a beautiful sunny day outside and I was so thankful.  I was a bit bummed because I knew there was no way I could make it to church at our 8am or 11am service with riding 4 hours starting at 7:30, but I just resolved to do some morning bike worship and pray to the man while I was seeing the lovely countryside! 

After my bike, a quick protein shake & then had lunch at Kyle's father’s house for his big day!  Burgers, potato salad, fruit salad, baked beans and dessert had my name written all over it!  I was sooo happy to eat after burning 1900 calories or so!   The food was delicious and I was in heaven. 

What a nice weekend!  Now I'm back at work and getting to taper a bit this week (after only one week back to full training it feels weird to taper again!).  I am racing in Philly this weekend for the Olympic Distance Tri on Sunday and so I guess I'll take all the help I can get.  I hope I'm not too slow!  Whatever it is, it is though.  You just go and do your best and call it a day.

Hope you all had just as wonderful of a weekend with fathers, friends and food!  Take care & be safe out there!

I feel so blessed to meet amazing, wonderful people.  They just come out of nowhere and grace me with their kindness and make me feel at home. 



I'll get back to that part in a minute.  If you have noticed, I've been on a hiatus from writing on my blog lately.  May has been rough, and that is the understatement of the century.  I was sick with broncitis/laryingitis for two weeks immediately following St. Croix which equals NO TRAINING.  After missing Columbia Triathlon (bummer), I started back to training on a Monday.  I had a week of trying to ramp up a bit in all three sports so that when I started back in full force, I wouldn't be going from zero to sixty in 1 minute (you know, don't increase your training more than 10% in any sport week to week).   Swimming, biking and running was going well and I was feeling great to be back! "We're baaa--ckk.." said the wicked virus I picked up over Memorial Day weekend.  Just like that, I was sick as a dog by Tuesday of that week with fever, chills, and I even had to miss a day of work.  Training was back off again and the hits just kept on coming.  As I struggled to return to health, I had a trip to Colorado planned for the following week.  Unfortunately, life doesn't just stop when you are not feeling well so off I flew to the mountain state (which I am sure it is not actually called but who knows!).  I worked for three days in Denver & Boulder while blowing my nose every five minutes and coughing up a storm.  The sinus infection just WOULD NOT LEAVE!!  I trained just enough to not loose everything I had built from November - May, and even attended a great spin class at Lifetime Fitness.



Lifetime Fitness = The most amazing training facility I have ever encountered.  Folks, we are talking spectacular here.  Not only is it the size of at least two football fields, all aspects are state of the art and immaculate!  I loved it!  Definitely try one if you are ever in a town where you can find it. 

Here's where we get back to the wonderful people I tend to meet.  I decided to attend a spin class on one of the evenings where I was feeling fairly decent.  I walk in to this amazing room with two huge projectors/screens playing scenes from the tour de France so you feel like you are actually racing, a completely dark room except for the walks which are murals of Triathlete and bikers with light shining through them, and at least 50 spin bikes available.  The music was just perfect (some techo remixes and some old school stuff as well) and the instructor was really good.  I'm on my spin bike trying to keep my effort level down (I need to get better here, not work myself into a bloody pulp), and my heart rate in my aerobic zone.  She's just too good though, so is the music and a couple of times I let it completely blow!  I couldn't help it!  After class I was still riding (got there late, no I was not being my usual fanatic self) and I asked her about a couple of songs that I really loved.  She was incredibly sweet and we talked for a few minutes before she just GAVE me two cd's that she uses and had as extras to teach her class.  Wasn't that awesome!!!!!!!!  Music is just such a gift to me since I do listen to my MP3 every day, sometimes for 2-4 hours per day while I'm working out.  I loved her style so I knew it was going to be good and it did NOT disappoint.  All I can say is thank you to the big man for just watching out for me and having such nice people for me to come into contact with.  I'm very blessed and I am not going to take it for granted.

Although May has been frustrating, it also has been good.  I met with my coach from Mark Allen while I was in Boulder in person and his exact words were "chill out, get better, and it isn't good to be in shape in May, I care about October for the big show!"   I too care about October, although after finally starting to feel like myself on Saturday I rode 3.5 hours (sshhhh..!).  This little break has been just what I needed and maybe God knew that and sidelined me so that I wouldn't overdo it and burn out by September.  I'm really ready to get back to training & did my first real swim workout in a month this morning (4000 yards!). 



I'm just so thankful for the people I meet.  It doesn't matter if it's online, at a tri, on a plane, or at a spin class... we all help each other, encourage each other and that means so much.  Thanks for being who you are... (and you know who you are!!) without you, I just wouldn't be the same person or athlete! 

The fat lady has sung, and I am happy to report, it’s all good. 

Some people hear about my job as a Corporate Dietitian and think it is very glamorous, going to sales meetings, training staff, creating marketing materials, talking with food service directors.  I guess parts of it are pretty interesting and for the most part, I really enjoy it.  One part they seem to think is particularly cool is the travel aspect.  I fly at least twice month for meetings or food shows to assist my company with expertise.  Let me tell you a little something, flying around to different cities sounds like fun, until you actually do it.  You spend much of your time packing (and usually forget unimportant things like... your toothbrush).  You also spend a ridiculous amount of time in the airport, which brings me to where I am sitting right now... the BWI, also known as, the Baltimore Airport.

My morning started at 4:40am when I awoke and got myself together to fly (after packing my work bag the night before) then I trucked off to the airport to catch a 7:20am flight.  Once in Baltimore I waited for a colleague to pick me up which was approximately an hour and a half later.  At 12:30pm we finally attended our meeting (which went very well I might add).  Then by 3pm I was back at the airport.  Sounds great right... EXCEPT my flight is not until 7:00 tonight.  I checked on other flights, but to no avail, one did not exist.  So, here I sit, looking out the window, checking my email, and blogging.  If the seats were more comfortable and I could take a quick hour nap, now THEN we would be talking.  

Why don't they have a nap room.  Seriously, wouldn't that make the most sense in the whole world!  They could even charge for it.  I would pay 15.00 for an hour or so on clean sheets where I didn't have to worry about someone carting off my stuff!  Think about it!  You come in, someone ushers you to the changing area where you have a fresh set of PJ's.  Then you enter the quiet area once you lock up your things.  Everyone gets a fresh set of sheets and if woken up softly by a tap at the appropriate designated time!  Its genius, I'm starting it.  Everyone here is tired.  It would be perfect. 



Until the nap room gets built, I guess I will settle for these crappy seats and putting my legs up to rest them before my race (which is quickly approaching).  I can't believe I've trained all this time and on Thursday I leave!  It's exciting.  This is the most ready I have ever felt to race so it is a nice feeling.  I guess it's because I can't imagine another age group athlete training a lot more than I did for this half-iron.  I could be wrong, but I don't think I am.  Good training breeds confidence and confidence, peace of mind.  So, if you are looking for stressing, you won't find it here. I'm just going to relax, enjoy it and trust my training.  They are experts you know.  Mark Allen pretty much wrote the book!  I can't wait to see it pay off (hopefully).  



I'll keep you posted.  Until then, I'll be here, wishing for my nap room in the Baltimore airport. 

For the first Tuesday in five and a half months, I did not get up at 5:30am, nor did I put on my workout clothes and drive to the gym, I didn't pack my bag last night or plan out my nutritional needs for the day.  I didn't even fill up my water bottles.  I just went to bed.  I was a normal person, talk about a weird feeling!

When you train for so long, it becomes a way of life.  You have all of these routines and if you are a person that hates routine, it is not a good sport to be part of.  Triathletes, being mostly Type-A personalities, are of the mind-set that thrives on routine, predictability and planning.  We pretty much plan out our entire week before it starts.  I look at the workouts, decide how and when I will do them, and then I go about my business, executing them to the highest capacity possible on any given day.  That's me, that's what I do.

Other people know how I thrive on routine and stick to my schedule as well.  The conversation at the end of the workout in the pool this morning went something like this between my lane mates and me:

Me: Guess what, I don't have any workouts tomorrow... how is that for crazy

Lanemate J: No way, you not workout, no possible, you'll do somethin won't you

Lantemate R: (and sometimes training partner): Nope, not a chance, that girl does exactly what is on the schedule to a T.  It says don't eat, she doesn't eat, it says don't sleep, not happy about it, but no sleeping (which is a total exaggeration but you get the point).

Me: Lanemate R is correct, I will be sleeping in, eating lots of food and relaxing at home.  Thus begins the taper.

Needless to say, it does feel strange, but I don't even think about messing with the taper.  I've heard stories, and they are NOT pretty about those who think this is the time to get in extra workouts right before an A race.  You couldn't make me run hard at this point (unless you tied me to a truck and started speeding to about 10 miles per hour).  Not even remotely happening.

So, I'll taper, and I'll feel a bit weird, but mostly I think I'll try to remember back to what I did before I did this whole working out like a mad women thing.  Maybe I'll read tonight or something, watch a movie, you know...normal people things. 



Don't get to excited though, I'm back on tomorrow.  Thank God, this taper is pretty rough!  KIDDING.

In two weeks and four days the gun goes off.  In two weeks and four days I get to see what the last five months have really been about.  In two weeks and four days the story just begins… and I can’t wait.

Strength comes from so many people, so many places, and so many things.  It’s a series of experiences, thoughts, actions, realizations and intangibles.  Some of you know what I am talking about. 

It’s the point when you enter “the hurting place” during a race and you have to find something greater than your own goals, your own ideas and your own wants and needs to push through.   It’s when your body is being pushed so hard that it tries to shut your mind down, the negatives creep in, and you find yourself asking if you can actually do this, if you can actually make it.  That’s when you need to draw strength. 

In two weeks and four days I see strength coming from many avenues.  First and foremost from my faith and the belief that what I am doing today is part of a greater plan, one that I may not even know at this point, which will influence someone around me in a positive way.  After that, I see it coming from past experiences, where I beat the pain down and overcame, when I didn’t quit, when I finished even though I passed out or didn’t have the race I wanted.  Thirdly, it’s from my family, my friends and all the people out there sending love, sending prayers, thinking of me, knowing that I can do this, I will do this and it is possible.   However, when you go through those scenarios, and it’s still tough, it’s time to dig a little deeper to a place that is personal.  A place that is as real as the day is long.

In the past two weeks I had two unique experiences to draw from, both of which I see as things to think of when the going gets tough.  I attended the Banff Mountain Film Festival http://www.nationalgeographic.com/nglive/washingtondc/s2008/films/banff.html here in Pittsburgh two weeks ago.  It was an amazing outpouring of creativity and love captured on film.  The topics were mostly related to the outdoors, with everything from kite boarding (look it up if you want to know what it is!) to wolf research.   Over 300 films are submitted to be judged and only 25 winners are crowned and shown as a traveling festival all over the US.  The stories were short, but gripping. and the message was don’t be afraid to try, to live your dream and to go beyond.  You would have never thought some of this stuff was possible if you weren’t actually seeing it there on the big screen with your own eyes. 

My favorite was called 24 Solo http://www.24-solo.com/trailer/ .  It followed the life and training of Chris Eatough as he embarks on his quest for his 7^th world championship mountain biking title.  This man battles through 24 hours of strait riding with trials and tribulations like I have not seen.  His devotion and spirit are refreshing as he crosses the line in second place, only to another man who puts his health on the line to win.  I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.  I identified so much with this man and his devotion to the sport.  It was amazing.  It’s a must see if you have the chance.

The other experience was an unlikely story.  One I stumbled upon not because I had even one little thing to do with it, but because people, namely my husband’s side involvement (http://www.pasportsmenportal.com/ ) lead him to a great cause which next year I intend to help with myself – Timmy Mickle & The Hunt of a Lifetime.  The quick background is that Make a Wish refuses to grant hunting experiences to those terminally ill children or children with disabilities who want nothing more than to get a chance to harvest a wild animal within a controlled environment.  These kids were often brought up in an area where hunting is very big (ie somewhere like Western PA) and dream of having a hunt to remember.  The Hunt of a Lifetime organization was formed from one woman who’s son had cancer and wanted to go somewhere to hunt, but neither had the means and no one would help them.  She eventually started the organization that still helps kids hunt in a responsible manner today. 

Timmy was born with Spina bifida which is a developmental birth defect involving the neural tube: incomplete closure of the neural tube results in an incompletely formed spinal cord.  This wonderful young man loves the outdoors like no one I have ever met in my life.  Timmy has had over 60 surgeries, yet his demeanor is one of joy, happiness and love.  It’s times like that when I realize just to be able to train the way I do, and live the way I do, makes me incredibly blessed.  I forget sometimes when my workouts are going poorly or I get stuck in a rut with training that others would just love to have the chance to train or compete. Winning is great and all, but without the experience and journey it is nothing at all.  It is just a plaque on the wall or a paycheck in the bank, quickly forgotten and replaced.

Then I meet this young man and his family.  A mother and a father who would do anything in the world to make his life better.  The emotions ran so high that day when my husband and his team presented Timmy and his family with a check to make his dream come true and make a memory that will last much longer than you or I ever will.

Timmy isn’t the only one who gives us inspiration and hope.  I’m sure many people know someone just like him who overcame the odds, and made you realize just how resilient and unstoppable the human spirit truly is.  I thank God for those who give the rest of us a small glimpse into their life.  We are better people by just knowing them. 

Two weeks and four days…and it’s coming quickly.  They will all be a part of it, my husband, my family, my friends who encouraged me, my sponsors, my experiences and my savior. 

I’ll need lots of strength to get through... Fortunately, I think I’ll know where to find it.

 Yesterday was a very good day.  It was a Saturday which is always nice (i.e. no work), and it was sunny (and 32 degrees).  It was a bit colder than I would have liked.  None the less, it was a perfect day to run, and run fast.  That was exactly what we did at the Cook's Forest Half Marathon in Cooks Forest, PA.  13.2 beautiful miles through the forest and along the river to feel my legs turn over at a high cadence while sailing up and down small grades and passing some men along the way (sorry boys, it is kind of fun). 

The competition was out, and that actually always makes it more enjoyable for a runner like me.  Granted, I like to win.  However, I would rather win with other people who are also trying to win and have a great race.  It pushes both people to new heights depending on level of talent, goals and really, who wants it more. 

The race yesterday was finally a chance to open it up and let me run free on the last five months of training.  Some days over the last five months I had very long slow training, which made me feel like I might never run fast again, ever.  With wonderful amazement, and a glimmer in my eye, I set off down the path running after one very fast girl and ten or so very fast men... and oh did I run fast.  I might have even started off a bit too fast (5:40 first mile, considering I wanted to average around 6:30).   When I saw the split I just decided to let my breath, my heart rate & the feeling in my legs be my guide and they did not disappoint.   My breath felt controlled, my heart rate calmed down (Av HR for race 178) and my legs felt weightless like a metrinome, ticking over again and again.  One young girl decided to take it out with me, hopefully to try and track down the one that took off like a gazelle on a mission.  At one point, I took off my headphones (sorry kids, I wear them during races but I can't help it!) and I said to her, "what do you want to run per mile?”  "Six thirty" she replied (for the non-runner that means 6 mins 30 seconds per mile).  I had checked my last split and despite a fast couple of miles at the beginning, we were right on.  Without hesitation I said back, "I'd be happy with that, let's stay on it together."   Until the half way point that worked, but when I checked our 6-7 mile split, we were close to 7 mins which was just frankly, unacceptable.  I knew I could run faster, but could she.  In the mean time, the gazelle was long gone out of sight and if she kept up the same pace, we'd never catch her.  I picked up and waited for my partner to respond.  Nothing... I looked back.. motioned for her to hitch on.. once again no response. 

For anyone who might read this blog that does not understand why I would want my competitor tagging along, it's sort of a runner thing.  This was a race for me but really it was me against the clock & myself.  By pushing to new heights I would gain fitness, which is the goal for St. Croix in a month.  As much as this was a race, it was mostly a training run and an exercise in confidence, control and mental stamina.  When running with someone you feed off each other's energy.  You don't have to talk about it; you both know what each other is doing.  You can run faster, and farther as two as opposed to one.  The endorphins are that much stronger and if one begins to falter, the other picks her (or him) up and helps you get through the tough times.  You must be fairly evenly matched in terms of athletic ability.  I thought my young friend was, but unfortunately with the lack of response, I knew either she wasn't, or she doubted herself.  I wanted to run with her, but there was no looking back. 

I clipped through the next mile at 6:11 (not the best pacing I know).  I began looking for the next partner to run beside as there were a few men immediately ahead.  Catch one, not fast enough, move on, catch on, same deal, and move on.  It kept me busy and the miles came and went.  It was truly fun and I felt marvelous.  The only tough part came at mile 11.8 where a short but fairly steep hill reared its head.  I powered up, my heart rate climbed (188) and once over, could smell the finish.  That last mile was hard, but it should have been.  I never saw the gazelle, but I heard she finished only 1 minute ahead of me for a final time of 1:24, and I came charging in at 1:25. 



It was a good sign of things to come.  Hopefully, a great season to come and a faster half marathon on May 4th :)

 being a triathlete, a wife, a friend, a daughter, a good employee, a singer, a teacher, a disciple and a woman.  We all have many roles to play, many spaces in hearts to fill, many obligations and many things we love. 



I love my life, the people in it, my friends & family, the way I feel most days.  I couldn't be more fortunate.  Sure, we have struggles just like everybody else, but all in all, we have it pretty darn good. 

In my ripe old age of 28, I have learned a few things though.  One of those is that I tend to spread myself to thin.  I tend to try and be everything to everybody all of the time.  I want to help out, but I want to make sure I get my training in.  I want to have great workouts, but I want to see my best friend and stay out late with her on her Birthday.  See, the thing is, it's a blessing and a curse to be well rounded.  I have god-given talents in various areas that I often feel bad I'm not using right now.  I try very hard to feel where he wants me to be, where he wants me to go, but often times I'm so busy trying to do everything, I think I might miss it.   I need to learn things go in cycles, they have a time and a place, and maybe that time and place is not now, but later.  God-willing, there will be time for all of it.

My point is, to be really good at something, you have to pretty much devote all of your time to it, or most of your time (say 85-90%).  When you are like me (doing something I love but not making a living at it), you have to work a full time job (as many of us do), pay the bills, and keep your home life/personal life going at the same time. Preferably, not just going, but going well.  However, outside of what you HAVE to do, you have to learn to say no and limit some activities for a period of time.  I know about the sacrifice it takes to make it work, I just hate sacrificing some of the things I enjoy to become the best triathlete I can be (for now, for a period, not forever).  You just say goodbye to them for a little, for a time, until their time has come and you can pull them back out, or enjoy them in small doses.  I'm learning, and I'm trying and hopefully, someday I will get the balance down pat. 



In the mean time, I don't want to sacrifice who I am or helping others.  Those things I want to keep.  But anything extra, I would like to minimize because it's not always simple, but it's my life, and I love it. 

I can't say for sure, but signs are pointing to yes.  Let me start from the beginning.

Just like other runners/athletes, I have my routines for fueling.  Today I had a two hour long run scheduled AFTER I had already done my 3500 yards so needless to say, fueling was very important at this point.  One of my habits is to put gels in my mailbox & a bottle with Gatorade on top because I run 40 min loops to stay on track with my long runs.  This allows me to remain hydrated and happy by swinging around home and fueling up before I head back out for another loop.  It's worked beautifully before in the past, and I suspect it will continue to work, as long as I'm not foiled by the mailman. 

I realize we are not supposed to put thing in the mailbox that are non-mail related.  However, I also know that if the mailman was an endurance athlete, he would understand there are important methods to my madness & that some things are just, well, necessary. 

The meanness occurred as I was making my final loop.  I saw the mailman's truck as I turned the corner at the very top of my road.  He was pulled over in a little side area with the truck completely stopped.  I peeked in as I ran by and found him slumped over and sleeping on the steering wheel.  I thought, "Ok, I hope he isn't in cardiac arrest, but I think I can beat him back and get that stuff out before he gets to our house."  I made it about another two minutes before I could hear him coming and I was still at least 3/4 mile from my house.  So, I sped up (which isn't easy to do after 1 hr and 45 mins worth of running).  Determined to beat him as he stopped at each house, I realized the housing order on the right side was not in my favor.  There just weren’t enough houses.  The odds were not in my favor.  So, despite my efforts, I watched as he pulled up to my house and opened the mailbox.  I wasn't quite close enough to see what was actually happening until I got up to him.  I was just about four steps away from the window when I watched him close the mailbox and knock my water bottle off the top.  I then discovered my gel had been taken out and thrown on the ground.  Not nice.  I just didn't think that was necessary.  So, I picked up my gel and my water bottle and walked in.  I was close to trying to jump on the back of his truck as he pulled away, but I'm not sure what good that would have done.  It was what it was. 

I could put something dead in there as a little surprise for next time... but that wouldn't be very nice.  It did make me chuckle though. 

So, for now, I'm going to keep with my routine as routines are what make runners happy.   We do well with them, so I don't intend to change any time soon.  Hopefully, we can call a truce, but if not, I'll be looking for road kill.  KIDDING... only kidding.