Back during the Winter months, I sat with my sweetheart across the table from an old friend of his, who in the last couple of years has really made some dramatic changes to her physical health and fitness level. It was inspiring to see how she completely reshaped herself and got back to her best and healthiest weight. It was also really fun to hear her describe her actual exploits – she can run farther, bike farther and do many things with great strength and endurance.
I really like this woman, and I cheer her on when she updates us on Facebook. Considering she’s around my age, I am just so impressed with what she’s achieved and want to follow her lead. She has truly become an athletic and very fit person, beyond merely liking activity and getting out once a week or so. She is active on a daily basis and has really focused on her health. Despite making enormous strides, she still continues to improve and work on it, even focusing on what she eats and preparing her own food more.
When she suggested Scott and I participate in a triathlon with her and a number of other mutual friends this May, the words “let’s do it!” came flowing easily out of my mouth. I wanted the challenge. I’m a good swimmer, love riding my bike, and felt I could run the distance with some training. I had plenty of time to prepare, and I wanted a goal.
Well, now I am a little over a month away from the day of the event, and I don’t feel ready. Life got very busy with a move, and I made some logistical decisions recently which have been important for my mental health and peaceful home life which have affected my ability to to take personal time regularly. My “training” has been very spotty and for some elements of the event, simply non-existent. I’ve not made it to the pool even once (barring the recent trip to Kah-Nee-Ta with the kids). I think if I had been preparing for a biking event, I’d be ready, because I like riding into work and have been doing that. I can focus on that one thing, and think I could even fit in longer rides on weekends. If I had only been training for a 5K, I might have been ready, because I would have been focusing on just the running, and I have a gym and the treadmills, and some trails by my office. Could have used my lunch break. As it stands, I have been pulled in many directions, and have felt paralyzed and stressed out about it. I’m never been good at spreading my energy around to many different things at once, even though I have to do it on a daily basis, just to keep things going for my household of 4.
So, now, such a short time away, I have pulled out of the triathlon to let a wait-lister participate. I don’t like the feeling that I’ve “quit” at all. It just doesn’t feel good. But frankly, the idea of participating in the triathlon quit being fun and started to feel like something to dread. I need “fun” right now, especially when it comes to my health and fitness. I’ve decided to focus on cycling as my primary fitness tool. It’s more fun for me than it’s ever been. Last Summer I had a blast on my bike and I still feel so much more confident riding than I have ever before in my life. And now I finally have the bike and the gear to really dig in and enjoy it more. I’m excited again about the prospect of getting more fit. I thank Scott for pushing me in this direction. I love that I can commute by bicycle. It really fits with my desire to leave less of a carbon footprint, and I see real results in terms of my fitness. I simply love that I get to work full of fantastic energy to apply to my job, and I appreciate the stress-relieving transition to my home life in the afternoons, too.
To make up for “quitting” the triathlon, I am setting a new goal. I want to do a MUCH longer ride this Summer. I don’t know what yet, and I will talk with Scott about it, and see if he thinks I can do a century, and if so, if he can help me pick out a group ride to go on and help me set up a training plan. If one thing ends, it’s important to find the next thing and keep moving forward. I want to be ever-striving, like my inspirational friend, too!
I’ll be updating as I go!
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