Gratitude

I so appreciate a day like Thanksgiving. Not for the so called historical reasons, but for the regular reminder that we all have so much to be thankful for. Lately life has been particularly trying for me - I have given in to grief, fear, confusion and anger. Two dear friends died quite unexpectedly, one day apart; at the same time that my professional life demanded so much more than usual from me.

I have been at sea, but am used to navigating myelf back into port.

Difficult times serve many purposes. I do NOT subscribe to the philosophy of their necessity. But difficult times give you the opportunity to test not only yourself but those around you, and how you feel about them. It can also reinforce what is really important to you when all the bells and whistles are stripped away.

I am humbly thankful for

My incredible little family. There are so few of us - and I always wished there were more - but we all so totally rock.

Love: its daily manifestations, and my ability to comprehend and express it

My personal relationship with the Divine, and the unconditional love and acceptance I strive to understand and reflect

my parents. They both left here a long time ago but I still benefit daily from their wise teachings firm foundation and incredible love. They are the best

Gainful employment

My abundant health- thing one and thing two are out of control with Esther (Roll) and Bertha(Butt) in close second and third but you know what? They are strong beautiful get me where I am going and I love them! I just know they will help me accomplish amazing things this season

my warm and comfy bed, warm home, food in the fridge

my stupid arse dog

leisure time to blog,dream, train, read, think, create...

It's all love. It's all good. I am so much better for those who have already been here, and grateful for being part of their jouney.

NOW - off to my own version of a Turkey Trot!!

behold, the gigantor demon cricket. The picture does it no justice - this bad boy was HUGE. and very very oogly. And all day he didntstray very far from my treadmill, perfect excuse to not use it! Ugh, ugh, ugh.

This weather lately has been absolutely gorgi. Never mind the training widget thingie – I have been running. Short baby runs but I have been moving consistently and that is the point for now. I went to a huge park yesterday and got lost on a few of the trails running and had an absolute blast. It was so nice to be surrounded by nature and not going around on the track like the worlds largest hamster (although my knees miss the cushioned track surface and loudly reminded me of that once or twice).

Good things that I did at least that much yesterday, as my treadmill decided to spaz out and kill its power supply. I also found out that my beyootiful gym may be closing – yeah the one that is near my job that I haven’t been able to frequent at all in the past six months. Whatever. I have to start getting my bear arse out of bed at 5 am again so I can at least start swimming in the am – if I do get to rejoin Masters, I don’t want to drown in the first class; that is waaay too embarrassing. At my best I am slowest.

To keep things interesting I started the 100 pushup, situp and squat challenge with my kids. We had fun just doing the test! I regularly attempt to inspire them to achieve and maintain fitness and am really hoping this will help – both them and me!

Finally - CNN is doing sponsoring another Triathlon training team to participate in the NYC triathlon with Dr Sanjay Gupta. I would soooo love to participate with them - especially since CNN picks up the tab, and I think Sanjay rocks the house(I so appreciate his coverage of Haiti after the earthquake; not for the fainthearted and speaking truth to power) I will not however be submitting a video of myself so I will continue to be inspired from afar!

Random Ramblings

• I have been perfecting my bear impersonation this last two weeks. Slowing down, piling up things in my cave, and eating lik ethere is no tomorrow. Oh its all healthy, but its too much. And if I am not eating, I am SOOOoooo hungry. I just cannot sleep or eat enough...and no I am not pregnant, those arent even my pregnancy symptoms. These are my "its getting cold and dark outside" symptoms.

• Despite all of that I feel pretty good except for the widening expanse of my waist...

• I LOVE Modern Family. Love.It.

• I dont know how much longer I can afford all this organic clean eating. If I were single I would be set, but with a family of six and a fat dog, its s huge strain. Steel cut oats cost a grip! I shoudl just cave and go back to Kaboom cereal, and then I could afford a new snazzy bike and maybe a mid-winter vacation

• I had a Kashi Go Lean chewy bar the other day for lunch and it was GREAT

• I wish I werent so sleepy because I do love running in this cooler weather, heavy salty sweater that I am. I just cant seem to get up early enough during the week to get out, but at least I have the weekends. I will confine myself to the dreadmill twice a week....

• I want to add a sprint on either end of NYC and shoot for the half marathon in October again

• really really wish I could find a run, swim or bike buddy...I am so happy my son is now into cross country so at least I have company on the weekend, even though he easily dusts me!

Here we go again

Long story short, DH signed me up for the NYC Triathlon. Sweetheart! BECAUSE he did this, because HE did this, because he DID this,

I must "do it".

I am freaked out.

I volunteered for this race this summer, doing body marking and handing out timing chips. Let me tell you, there are some AMAZING looking athletes on the course- I think I notice them more as a volunteer without nerves than I would as a participant whose mind is racing. I enjoyed the experience, and would do it again if allowed.

Afterwards I spent an hour or so watching the swim leg in the Hudson right behind me, up close and personal. People were whizzing by! And yes, I did make one errant remark when I saw a guy with a noodle- I said something stupid like "If I could do it with a noodle, I will definitely participate".

But I don't want to swim with a noodle. I want to swim it, well. But I am terrified! There are so many reasons I am terrified I can't say exactly which fear is the biggest...Maybe it was being able to actually hear some people gasping as they went by. Maybe it is how fast the water was moving, how murky it looks and how deep it must really be. Maybe its because I can recall the guides in their kayaks screaming at the swimmers who went off course. Maybe its the idea of doing a whole mile when I haven't been to Masters swim in months. Maybe its the idea of even just jumping off that damn pontoon in the first place.


And, I know it is a challenging course. I am wary of the bike and the run, but the SWIM.........

Happy Halloween(ie)!

She Lives!

OK, about to get back on the carnival ride! Stay tuned...

Crabs in a barrell!

I am hardly the only one that gets annoyed with gym etiquette or the lack therof. There are however individuals less generous than I with their patience and inderstanding! Haha...the New York Times strikes again in this article called WORKOUT MISCREANTS . Enjoy!

Inspirational Me?

I had an interesting interlude the other day.





I had a conversation with an acquaintance whom I have not seen since a meeting I attended in October, one month after my triathlon. Not that she would have known, except the one person at work I did tell walked into the room of participants and announced that I am a triathlete (which prompted a barrage of questions and looks askance)




Anyway, I spoke with her the other day and she said "You have no idea how much you have inspired me, SingingElectric! You sounded like you love your training so much I signed up for swim classes. I started last week and it has changed my LIFE! "

yup, that is what she said.

Now I am so happy that someone else is inspired by me - I wish I could inspire my own damn self to go back to Masters but that is another story!-but really, I am happy that my struggles mean SOMETHING. You never know, I supppose, who is watching you.

My knee is starting to make more persistent noise. No pain, just crunchy noise. I have also been keeping up with my running albeit indoors as well as working on the drainer. I do anticipate that things at work shoud be leveling off in another month or so- so I can hopefully salvage some of the pre season! In the meantime, I have added the Danskin to my short list of tri endeavors this year.

One last Twilight Zone blast - I am actually thinking of rejoining the same training class that almost killed me last year. I think I will be able to keep up better this year if I do; I am just not sure that I can afford it. It is so worth the money however and the coach is really good.....hmmmm....

PERFECTION!

This beauty made me so happy today.

Are you ready?

"To succeed, we must first believe that we can."

Michael Korda

Work has been kicking my butt up down and sideways (and I have been kicking back); the weather has been abysmally cold; finally “letting go” for the holidays took its toll in a BIG way on Thing 1 and Thing 2 and Esther’s sister Tootsie (the two fat sisters from the Roll family); and recent tragedies have left me spiritually spent.



Mind you, I am still keeping up with my modified version of the 100 days challenge, joyfully almost. I am still not back in the pool DUE TO MY WORK SCHEDULE ONLY( and not because I feel like Rosemary in Shallow Hal) but did re-up for Masters torture and expect to be back at it soon. I am doing drills on Elphaba and on the dreaded dreadmill along with weights.



I have also been thinking about mental challenges / roadblocks with training and reading up on some opinions lately. As with other areas of life, what we believe we can do often outweighs what the physical reality of the situation. In Friels Traithletes Training Bible, he says that mental skills are often overlooked part of training. One of the first chapters of the book has a self evaluation for an athlete to determine their motivation and thought habits, among other things.



I am not sure that I notice the effects of any brain stuff from my workouts but they do make me feel better . According to the Friel assesemnt I have no difficulty with visualization so I will eat my veggies, keep drilling, and easily visualize myself swimming biking and running like the pros this year….all with a big smile!



I got the Februay issue of Triathlete Magazine, and appreciate alot of the articles that was in it this time besides my usual oohing and aaahing over the eye candy. One article in particular resonated with me- lately the 2 minute rule has been effective so far!

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TOP 5 JEDI MIND TRICKS FOR TRIATHLON MOTIVATION

Are you ready to learn ways to instantly motivate yourself when you're feeling too tired to workout, unsure about whether to sign-up for an event, or tempted to give up during a race? Consider these Top 5 Jedi Mind Tricks to be your ultimate secret weapon for motivation. Are you ready?

1) 2 Minute Rule.

Don't get scared by the seven-syllable word in this tip...but physiologically, several changes take place in your body during the first 120 seconds of exercise. Namely, at about that 2 minute mark, your cells begin to more easily utilize oxygen as a fuel, muscle temperature begins to rise, and exercise suddenly becomes easier. So what is the take-away trick for using the 2 Minute Rule in triathlon motivation? If you just got home from work and you're "too tired" to train, or you're trying to tear yourself out of bed at 5am, just tell yourself: get through the first 2 minutes. You'll be consistently pleased with what happens after that point!

2) Use Irrational Psychology.

This is a powerful trick for triathlon motivation, and involves affecting the appeal of one workout choice by comparing it to other choices. Here are some examples. Say it's time for a 90 minute hard cycling session, and you just don't have the triathlon motivation to get on your bike and head out. So give yourself three choices, and make two of those choices more unpleasant: Choice #1 - go on a 5 hour easy bike ride; Choice #2 - Do a 90 minute interval run on a treadmill instead; Choice #3 - do your 90 minute bike ride. The 90 minute bike ride suddenly seems relatively not all that bad. Or imagine the pool is "too cold" to go for a swim. So go in the locker room and take a cold shower. Suddenly the pool becomes relatively appealing. Or imagine you're running up a hill and you have an overwhelming urge to walk. Start sprinting on the hill much faster than you are running. Stop 5 seconds. Start running again at your normal pace. The hill running will instantly feel easier (yes, the brain is a strange thing).

3) Use Very Small Goals.

In the middle of a race and feel like giving up? This trick works very well. Tell yourself that you're going to take just 200 more steps, or 100 more pedal strokes, or get to one more buoy. Promise yourself that at that point you can either A) stop or B) keep going. By giving your brain the reward of having completed a small, intermediate goal, there is a slight infusion of dopamine that occurs which drives you to keep going when you get to that point. Again, it is a strange phenomenon, but works very well for triathlon motivation, especially in a race.

4) Use Extrinsic Motivation.

Humans have an innate desire to be accepted, and an innate detest for being rejected. We internally fear being judged by our failures, and crave to be accepted for delivering on our promises. Here's how to use this principle for triathlon motivation: the next time you're waffling on a workout, go to Facebook, go to Twitter, go to your blog, or call your best friend or spouse and tell them, "I'm just about to go to workout ______ (you fill in the blanks) Should be fun!". This tiny social expression will instantly give you a powerful urge to deliver on your promises. It also works well if you're on the fence about signing up for a race for which you're unsure you will have fitness. Tell the world you're going to sign-up, and the extrinsic motivation of not wanting to let the world down will make you far more likely to do it.

5) Re-Train Your Brain.

There is a big difference between wanting something and being prepared to receive it. In other words, it's not enough to have triathlon motivation goals and want to achieve them. Instead, you must actually train your subconscious to realistically see yourself achieving your goals. Want to know exactly how to re-train your brain? Do 2 things:

1) Read the comprehensive article in the February 2010 issue of Triathlete magazine;

2) Visit the Rock Star Triathlete Academy at http://www.rockstartriathlete.com/, where you will find an online triathlon school that features weekly handpicked articles on triathlon motivation and lifestyle.

Memorize these mind tricks and add them to your triathlon motivation arsenal, and you'll be the person everyone is talking about when they say, "They're like the Energizer bunny! They keep going, and going, and going...".

Ben Greenfield is an author, personal trainer, nutritionist and triathlete coach from Spokane, WA. He produces the popular free fitness, fat loss, and human performance blog and podcast at http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/.

Ben holds bachelor's and master's degrees in sports science and exercise physiology, and is a certified nutritionist (C-ISSN), personal trainer (NSCA-CPT) and strength and conditioning coach (NSCA-CSCS). If you are interested in asking Ben a question, or learning more about utilizing his services, simply e-mail ben@bengreenfieldfitness.com or call 1-877-209-9439.

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Ben_Greenfield

One brief pause, please...

Gym Reminder

In January, I loathe going to the gym. Not because I am lazy or procrastinating - but it's CROWDED. With a new bunch of people in brand new clothes, with brand new ipod's they don't know how to use- taking up good locker space, parking space, pool lanes, treadmills, etc.





Getting in the way. Taking up air space. Going "mad hard" as my kids say, and we alllll know they won't last long.

They annoy the CRAP outta me. I usually have the move mentality when I am in the gym anyway, and these "resolutionists" really don't help.



I participate in a great online forum - Beginner Triathlete - that provides incredible friendly support to all levels of multisport athletes. If you haven't been there and participated, definitely check it out. I am reprinting with permission the following message from Marmadaddy of BeginnerTriathlete. I think the below is truly the correct perspective we should all have about the new folks in the gym, on the track, in the pool. After all, we were ALL the new person at one point or another.



Enjoy!

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We're endurance athletes. We train all year not only outside, but also at the gym and the pool. We can expect some serious crowding in both places for the next few weeks. It happens every year.


Suddenly we have to add 30 minutes to our scheduled gym time because of the "resolutionists". There are no parking places. When you do manage to find one and get to the locker room 10 minutes behind schedule, there aren't any lockers available and the door is blocked by someone trying to remember the way to the weight room. In there, the machines you need to use are all occupied by people in new track suits pushing too much weight with truly horrible form.



The bubbler is blocked by someone who is trying hard not to look totally out of their element. You can't get in the pool because it's jammed with people using pull buoys on their arms and kickboards as flotation devices. Half the lanes have people with no goggles and baggy swim trunks down to their knees who can't swim an entire lap.


The whole freakin' place is filled with...with...






beginners.




It's one of my favorite sights. I've never been in a place more full of hope than a gym during the first week of January. It's a place full of people giving action to their dreams. People who for that day are making an effort to be fit, to improve themselves, to live a better quality of life. The effort and courage it takes them to get there that morning is huge. It certainly exceeds what it takes me. I know where everything is. I know the pool etiquette. I know what my workout is going to be and how to use the machines. I'm not the least bit embarrassed to take my shirt off in the locker room. This is routine for me. These new people will be showing a lot of courage and determination by going to the gym in the next few weeks and they'll deserve my respect. They'll get it.




It wasn't that long ago that I was one of them. During the next few weeks I'll be making an effort to help some of these people feel a little less uncomfortable. Maybe make eye contact with some of them, be ready to give a nod or say hello.


Once we're halfway into February, the crowds will be gone. Parking will be easy. Machines will be available again. The wait at the pool will go away. We know this. We're endurance athletes. We know the reward that comes from sticking through the hard parts.




And from helping others through them.