It has been a strange two weeks!
Starting this new business has caused some (a lot) of overwhelm which has spilled over into, guess where?
Eating!
Training!
Suffice it to say I've been motivationally challenged these past couple of weeks and my eating habits have slid to less than stellar. Although by typical American diet standards Glenn and I do very well even when we get into a rut! I'm not worried. The climb out has begun, in fact we are almost out!
I am learning to manage myself in new and sometimes scary situations. I have to take baby steps in my marketing because otherwise I won't move forward. But it's so worth it to me! Thank God I have 2008 training and racing under my belt because I feel like although I've slipped in training consistency I have the power to get right back in there and rebound quickly! This is more evidence that I'm living the lifestyle not just training for a couple of races.
Woo Hoo!
Nevertheless, I called Coach in a panic a few days ago and asked her if we could reduce the training volume for a time certain. She suggested four weeks. That sounded good to me. Well not GOOD but good for the overall structure of my life at the moment. She said that reducing volume through March will be fine. Woo Hoo! I personally don't think I will lose much (if anything) athletically by doing this.
I will be ready for RAGE! Swimming volume is not being reduced, per my request. I've decided to swim once a week with Swim Las Vegas, do two workouts per week on my own (written by Kara and Paul, coaches of Swim Las Vegas) and drop BC Masters. I feel good about this decision.
Take today, for example, when I accidentally showed up at the WRONG POOL for SLV Masters! When I discovered that the workout was at a different pool across town I nearly blew a gasket. Paul got on the phone and that is when I discovered that, in addition to being a great swim coach, Paul has another very special talent.
The ability to Calm the Crazy.
I was this close to calling it a day and going home but Paul actually calmed the crazy. He listened when I told him that I check my email a billion times a day, he heard my frustration at potentially being late for practice (I HATE BEING LATE), told me how to get to the right pool, said I had plenty of time to get there AND said that he was going to make me work extra hard today! The way Paul was talking it was clear to me that not showing up was not an option.
So I showed up (on time, barely) and had a damn good workout! Seriously how far would any of us get without support? Not far at all!!
I am grateful for the support system I've built around training and racing. After all, it is going to be a long season. Everyone needs people to lean on!!!
So I'm looking forward to getting all of the workouts in next week and managing myself to create the business and life that I deserve. And I need to see if Tony is available tomorrow to do my brick with me. Wouldn't that be nice!! :-)
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Sunday, February 8, 2009
Week Wrap Up Randomness
This week was pretty good. I'm moving forward with my business and I got all of my training done! I did have a few nights of insomnia which absolutely sucked so I'm sitting here at 10pm sort of not wanting to go to bed so now is the perfect time to blog.
Sometimes I have to pinch myself when I think about the fact that I'm swimming three times a week and this is now normal. There is one thing though. I'm not sure that Boulder City Masters is the place for me to be long term. I go to Boulder City Masters on Tuesday and Thursday nights. The coach is a 24 year old guy named Travis who was State Champion from Boulder City High School during his senior year. After that he went to college on a swimming scholarship.
Travis is a competent coach. Thing is, I wonder if the workouts are challenging enough. Not that I'm ALL THAT in the pool -- I mean, I have my own lane! Next to two tri girls who I chase pretty hard so that I won't get totally creamed. The "pure" swimmers are very very far from my lane.
Still though, when I read descriptions, on blogs, of how hard others work at Masters, I wonder if BC Masters is cutting it. And my gut tells me no. I've signed up and paid for the month of February, so I'm committed. I've been there two weeks so I'm still fairly new there. Another gut check at the end of six total weeks should tell me what I need to do.
On Saturdays, I swim with Swim Las Vegas, another Masters team that ROCKS! These folks are the swim group that I trained with last season to get ready for Silverman. They have formed a masters team and structure their workouts in blocks, triathlon specific, to train for specific races. I just finished up a four week stroke clinic with them and on 2/21 start an eight week program to prepare for Rage.
The thing about Swim Las Vegas is that 1) Coaches Paul and Kara are head and shoulders above anyone who has ever coached me in swimming and 2) the workouts are split into four Saturdays in the pool followed by four Saturdays in Lake Mead. Those who follow my blog know that the Open Water swims with this group with Paul in the kayak coaching us while we swam the buoys is what clinched my swim confidence heading into Silverman.
I can feel my swim stroke improving practically every time I get in the pool. I've learned to push through the moments of frustration and fatigue and just swim. Working with Paul has been so good for me -- he is excellent at coaching a group of people through a workout and the people in the group are GREAT!
Today (Sunday) was a 90 minute brick, 1 hour on the bike, 30 minute run off the bike. Even though I live in an area where we can bike outside year round I am picky lately about the weather. My training buddy Tony is recouping from knee surgery so I've been on my own more. Even though Coach said to "get out and ride" I looked outside today, saw the bushes bending in the wind, and said SUCK IT WEATHER! I hopped on the trainer and watched Psych and the first part of Burn Notice.
Then I got outside and ran. It was windy and a bit chilly, but I don't mind running in wind. Not having a dreadmill leaves no choice anyway. It was my first brick of the season and it felt GREAT! Let my heart rate go a bit too high on the run so next time I will rein that in but everything felt really really good!
Then later this afternoon I got to be part of a focus group at Lululemon Athletica! That was great! They asked us a bunch of questions, like what running clothing and gear we like, etc. and then we went in the store and picked something from their running line to review. I picked a bright yellow, long sleeved running shirt. It is still pretty cool here after all -- too cool for short sleeves (I say this a bit tongue in cheek -- I'm a cold weather wimp since moving here 24 years ago)!!!!!
I hope everyone has a good week. At some point I'm sure I will update more often but for now these less frequent updates feel right to me. :-)
Sometimes I have to pinch myself when I think about the fact that I'm swimming three times a week and this is now normal. There is one thing though. I'm not sure that Boulder City Masters is the place for me to be long term. I go to Boulder City Masters on Tuesday and Thursday nights. The coach is a 24 year old guy named Travis who was State Champion from Boulder City High School during his senior year. After that he went to college on a swimming scholarship.
Travis is a competent coach. Thing is, I wonder if the workouts are challenging enough. Not that I'm ALL THAT in the pool -- I mean, I have my own lane! Next to two tri girls who I chase pretty hard so that I won't get totally creamed. The "pure" swimmers are very very far from my lane.
Still though, when I read descriptions, on blogs, of how hard others work at Masters, I wonder if BC Masters is cutting it. And my gut tells me no. I've signed up and paid for the month of February, so I'm committed. I've been there two weeks so I'm still fairly new there. Another gut check at the end of six total weeks should tell me what I need to do.
On Saturdays, I swim with Swim Las Vegas, another Masters team that ROCKS! These folks are the swim group that I trained with last season to get ready for Silverman. They have formed a masters team and structure their workouts in blocks, triathlon specific, to train for specific races. I just finished up a four week stroke clinic with them and on 2/21 start an eight week program to prepare for Rage.
The thing about Swim Las Vegas is that 1) Coaches Paul and Kara are head and shoulders above anyone who has ever coached me in swimming and 2) the workouts are split into four Saturdays in the pool followed by four Saturdays in Lake Mead. Those who follow my blog know that the Open Water swims with this group with Paul in the kayak coaching us while we swam the buoys is what clinched my swim confidence heading into Silverman.
I can feel my swim stroke improving practically every time I get in the pool. I've learned to push through the moments of frustration and fatigue and just swim. Working with Paul has been so good for me -- he is excellent at coaching a group of people through a workout and the people in the group are GREAT!
Today (Sunday) was a 90 minute brick, 1 hour on the bike, 30 minute run off the bike. Even though I live in an area where we can bike outside year round I am picky lately about the weather. My training buddy Tony is recouping from knee surgery so I've been on my own more. Even though Coach said to "get out and ride" I looked outside today, saw the bushes bending in the wind, and said SUCK IT WEATHER! I hopped on the trainer and watched Psych and the first part of Burn Notice.
Then I got outside and ran. It was windy and a bit chilly, but I don't mind running in wind. Not having a dreadmill leaves no choice anyway. It was my first brick of the season and it felt GREAT! Let my heart rate go a bit too high on the run so next time I will rein that in but everything felt really really good!
Then later this afternoon I got to be part of a focus group at Lululemon Athletica! That was great! They asked us a bunch of questions, like what running clothing and gear we like, etc. and then we went in the store and picked something from their running line to review. I picked a bright yellow, long sleeved running shirt. It is still pretty cool here after all -- too cool for short sleeves (I say this a bit tongue in cheek -- I'm a cold weather wimp since moving here 24 years ago)!!!!!
I hope everyone has a good week. At some point I'm sure I will update more often but for now these less frequent updates feel right to me. :-)
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Evidence
I've been working on launching my new business and things are coming along. Probably at the pace it is meant to happen but I occasionally have bouts of insecurity and self doubt about it all. Those will not stop me though. I know that my business will be successful.
In getting things off the ground I've been very conscious about how I'm showing up every day. What attitude to I have? How do I chose to be? How do my clients feel when they work with me? It's powerful stuff.
I've had a few dips in power and motivation this week and they can all without exception be traced back to lapses in fueling myself. Yup. Not eating enough.
Sometimes I just have to laugh at how I can go through some big, transformational experience(s), Silverman being the most recent, and, at some point I invariably end up right back in the grip of a dumb habit that wants to hold me back.
Why IS that?
Human nature?
Whatever causes it, I just have to look at each time it happens as an opportunity to do better. My training is going SO WELL right now. As Liz has said to me many times recently, I am a different athlete. And I am. There is no denying it.
There is so much evidence of this fact lying around:
1) SILVERMAN,
2) I got right back into training after essentially taking two months off and did very WELL on my fitness tests,
3) I like swimming now,
4) I'm swimming 3 times a week now,
5) training now feels like a lifestyle as opposed to something I have to do to finish Silverman,
6) the first two weeks of January my fuel intake was perfect for what was going on in my life -- I had energy to do the workouts, energy to work, and when I got tired it was a "good" tired not a debilitating tired!
7) I've been making and enjoying many recipes from the Eat Clean Diet Cookbook -- they suit Glenn's and my taste and lifestyle very well -- and THIS fact is coming from a woman who used to hate to cook! When I use these recipes I know that I'm eating enough fruits and veggies. I also have some quick standby meals for when I need them.
So in the face of all of this evidence, WOW, there it is.
Suddenly I have more energy to grocery shop and do what needs to be done to set myself up to have a good training week.
Hell noone is perfect but it's how we manage things that can make us or break us.
Oh and another piece of evidence that I'm not the same athlete that I was: I am Multisport Mastery's Athlete of the Month for February!!!! I love my coach! So much of this I could not have done without her guidance, support, meticulous attention to detail and professionalism. Thanks Liz!!
In getting things off the ground I've been very conscious about how I'm showing up every day. What attitude to I have? How do I chose to be? How do my clients feel when they work with me? It's powerful stuff.
I've had a few dips in power and motivation this week and they can all without exception be traced back to lapses in fueling myself. Yup. Not eating enough.
Sometimes I just have to laugh at how I can go through some big, transformational experience(s), Silverman being the most recent, and, at some point I invariably end up right back in the grip of a dumb habit that wants to hold me back.
Why IS that?
Human nature?
Whatever causes it, I just have to look at each time it happens as an opportunity to do better. My training is going SO WELL right now. As Liz has said to me many times recently, I am a different athlete. And I am. There is no denying it.
There is so much evidence of this fact lying around:
1) SILVERMAN,
2) I got right back into training after essentially taking two months off and did very WELL on my fitness tests,
3) I like swimming now,
4) I'm swimming 3 times a week now,
5) training now feels like a lifestyle as opposed to something I have to do to finish Silverman,
6) the first two weeks of January my fuel intake was perfect for what was going on in my life -- I had energy to do the workouts, energy to work, and when I got tired it was a "good" tired not a debilitating tired!
7) I've been making and enjoying many recipes from the Eat Clean Diet Cookbook -- they suit Glenn's and my taste and lifestyle very well -- and THIS fact is coming from a woman who used to hate to cook! When I use these recipes I know that I'm eating enough fruits and veggies. I also have some quick standby meals for when I need them.
So in the face of all of this evidence, WOW, there it is.
Suddenly I have more energy to grocery shop and do what needs to be done to set myself up to have a good training week.
Hell noone is perfect but it's how we manage things that can make us or break us.
Oh and another piece of evidence that I'm not the same athlete that I was: I am Multisport Mastery's Athlete of the Month for February!!!! I love my coach! So much of this I could not have done without her guidance, support, meticulous attention to detail and professionalism. Thanks Liz!!
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