Confession: I Finally Believe That Hard Work and Faith DO, Eventually, Pay Off

Here’s me, being dorky.

I post my latest race numbers in a corner of my desk at work.

I feel like I’m living in a dream. I can’t believe I’m actually doing work at THREE different colleges. Working in academia, especially doing research and teaching, is my lifelong dream. If you’d told me I’d have been doing ALL THREE, after everything that’s gone down, AND this soon after receiving my BA, I’d have laughed at you. I am so, so, so, so, SO immensely grateful for all that’s transpired for the past few years, even the bad.

HR vs RPE (EIEIO)

This morning I had a flipping fantastic run. I went out for about 30 minutes in a recovery-ish zone. My heart rate stayed between zones 2-3, as did my RPE. I was still super-slow, but this was supposed to be a recovery run. (SIDE NOTE: Since I go in later than he does, the B sleeps in extra late. This makes it nearly impossible for me to get up and out in the morning!!)

I replaced the battery in my chest strap transmitter. Instant difference! I’m also trying to blend my heart rate training with RPE training. I tend to push harder when I am using RPE training, but not hard enough when HR training. (If you followed me in 2008 when I used RPE almost exclusively, I did a LOT of PT with shin splints and calf cramps and IT band problems.) So, I’m using the general knowledge of heart rate to make sure I’m not going too hard in training, as well as to gauge improvement, but I’m following the RPE dictated by my training program to make sure I’m training at the proper intensity. (Part of that is because I signed up for the Beginner Triathlete plan that allows me coaching access for the next 6 months. It uses all RPE.)

Tri-ing On a Budget

It’s hard to Tri On a Budget. As you may know, the cost was a huge issue for me in past years, especially when I had a coach. I hated the cheap, fitness-mill gym; so I went back to the Y. But the Y isn’t cheap. So, to save money, I’ve started building up my weight collection at home and looking for a treadmill. I found a local pool that’s in awesome shape and has great prices . . . about 1/5 of the YMCA cost. (Actually, the B found it).

When I can, I put off buying new equipment. I try to buy last year’s running and cycling shoes, and I haven’t bought new tri clothes or cycling shoes in the past 2-3 years. But it was time for new shoes and a new outfit, so I gathered those over the past few weeks. (Now I have to teach myself to put the cleats on the new cycling shoes!) I also got new bungee laces since my aglets broke. (Speedlaces makes one called ibungee). I ordered a pair of new running shoes. (I hope they come in the purple.)

Now I can swim, bike indoors OR out, run, and strength train, WITH the advice of a coach, for less than $19 a month – so all I have to worry about is race fees. I’d like to thank The B for getting me back into triathlon by offering to pay for my “A” race for my birthday. (Ahem . . . B . . . sign me up before the race fills up! LOL)

Living the Dream

I don’t know what higher power you believe in, or if you believe in one at all, but I am firmly, eternally convinced that there is some order to the universe. (Please ask me to return to this entry when I get down in the future J ) There are a lot of lessons I’ve learned only through experience; all the advice in the world didn’t make a difference until I just struggled through it.

One of those lessons is that we all have drama. Some of us are more quiet about it; others take a BALLS OUT approach. Either way, I’ve learned that the more you dwell on your drama/demons, the more power you give them over your life.

People always used to tell me to just acknowledge them and move on; I never knew how to do that. The approach that makes the most sense to me is this: talk with a few select people about your troubles, issues, drama, demons, problems, etc. (Your therapist, your spouse, your parents, your mentor – whoever is the best at opening your eyes and enabling you to see past them). Find yourself a solution. If there is no solution, find yourself some acceptance.

Then DROP IT AND MOVE ON.

And by DROP it, I MEAN DROP IT. Don’t blog about it. Don’t Facebook about it. Don’t text about it )except to aforementioned spouse/parent/mentor). I don’t care WHAT you have to do, once you have found as much of a solution as you can find, do ANYTHING but FOCUS on it. Instead, find something else really absorbing and healthy to focus on. It will move you forward AND it will provide you with enough perspective to recover from it . . . eventually.

Eckhart Tolle put it best . . .

Wherever you are, be there totally.

If you find your here and now intolerable and it makes you unhappy,

you have three options:

remove yourself from the situation, change it, or accept it totally.