Change Is Beautiful!

I am happy to report that while I am not sleeping as well as I'd like this week, I got two days of excellent recovery on my days off.  I am trying to get back onto my regular training schedule, even if it is just a maintenance week.  My usual long ride on Tuesday was cut short by a combination of factors.  First, I got a late start because I overslept... YAY!  Then I hit terrible traffic heading down to the beach so by the time I got on the bike, I was going to have to trim a few minutes off the prescribed three hours anyhow.  I headed South on A1A and got a just a couple of miles down the road and there was a road closure.  (Understand that this is a long skinny barrier island with basically on road running north-south.  Detours are not a possibility unless you can get to a bridge and cross over to the mainland roads.)   I did the only thing a girl can do (when faced with a wooden barrier guarded by a grumpy cop), I turned around and headed north.  I was only able to go north for a while when the wind became a squall from the ocean.  Once I was getting wet, I looped back again.  At this point, I had logged roughly an hour, though there had been long breaks while I waited for a gap in the traffic large enough for me to make my U-turns without the assistance of a light.  Aside from really working my bike handling skills in high winds, there was little physical benefit to this ride so I finally packed it in, still happy I was able to get out and spin my pedals.

I have also been thinking about the paradigm shift that has slowly developed in my life thanks to triathlon.  For starters, a good day is a day that is anchored in a good training effort.  It has become the cornerstone of my daily life.  I read somewhere recently that being a pro (the author of the article... NOT ME!) is not just a job, it is a 24 hour commitment.  I think that is true for serious amateurs as well.  I find that anymore making the decisions that will support my training efforts come easily.  I want to eat right, I want to sleep enough, I want to sweat every day, I want to take care of my body and mind so that I can perform at my peak.  I no longer have a time when I workout and then the rest of my day.  I am simply an athlete 24-7 and frankly, it feels great!  I am also acutely aware of the fact that my friends think I'm nuts (in a good way... the others aren't friends anymore.)

Here are a few things that one can expect as triathlon takes over your consciousness like an alien mold:

Your drink order in a restaurant might change:

Your interior decorating might look a little different:

Your patio furniture might change:

You might find yourself being proud of permanent sweat stain on the concrete:

You may begin to find tan lines stylish:

You may show off pics your clean bike like it's a child's graduation photo:

You may find you owe your bike mechanic more than just money after a tune up:

 These are just a few of the clues that you got bodysnatched at the finish line of your first race!!

Isn't change beautiful?

July 2009

July 2011