Life Happens

Summer is almost over. I haven't competed in one race or been able to get any consistent training under my belt. I don't have any stellar results to share or epic training sessions to brag about. But I can say that I have had some very meaningful time with my boys, I've embraced imperfection like never before and feel more like "myself" than I have in years.

As August comes to a close, I have completed my first "real" week of training. I have run numerous times for more than 20 minutes with minimal pain. My knee is stiff and not perfect but I think it's coming around. I went for a bike ride today and was grateful that my magnet slipped down so I could not monitor what my average speed was. It felt good, my power was consistent and I didn't get passed by any old ladies on cruisers (I didn't see any either so I'm not bragging). Usually, I start training for the following season in late January/early February. So this year, September is my February. The way I look at it, I'm getting an early start!

In the past 12 months (in order) I was diagnosed with Lupus, had my first DNF (Las Vegas Marathon), got divorced, became a member of the Timex Multisport Team, went back to college, ran on the track team, lost my coach in a tragic accident, dealt with my first injury and had knee surgery, moved out into my very own place for the first time in my life and experienced (on numerous occasions) what "I can't afford it" REALLY means.

As the above paragraph shows, life is messy, unpredictable and rich. What my words may not show is that I have learned something from each and every one of those experiences (good and bad). In my quest for perfection and strength, I have been humbled by the realization that life with challenge and not-so-immediate gratification is not always predictable or glamorous but incredibly rewarding!

I don't know how the next 12 months are going to go. I start school in a few weeks. I don't know how my health is going to hold up or if my knee is really on the mend or I'm just willing it to be. My cross country season has started. I went for a "warm up" with the team in the 90 degree weather the other day and it felt like a tempo run to me. I was a tad discouraged but more than that, I was motivated. In my "grab-bag-of-a-life", I seem to be right on course even if I don't know which way is up.

Stay tuned. I'm slowly getting back in the groove, using some excellent training tools (I will share about those along the way) which are helping a great deal. I'm experiencing triathlon training as a "newby" with a few grand challenges thrown in there to boot. If you are trying to get motivated to work towards a goal, come along with me. I'm starting from ground zero. It's painful at times, discouraging and humbling but it's nice to have company and we all could use a little help.