Tag: planning

my husband’s a cyclist

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He’s not a triathlete. He believes in Big Foot more than the possibility of a good ride being preceded by a swim and/or followed by a run.

This is cool. We share a lot of time and discussion with cycling. He’s great with details and mechanics and makes living with 7 or 8 bikes feel pretty reasonable. He’s also incredibly supportive of my triathlon training, though the finer details of swimming and running don’t interest him. (This I forget.)

He recently had the great idea for adding some fun to the kids’ February vacation. We’d head down to the Cape Codder in Hynannis for a couple of days in a family hotel / indoor water park. The kids would love it and he highlighted an added benefit – “You’ll be able to get in a couple of swim workouts over vacation while your pool is closed.”

I love his plan, but every once in a while one doesn’t quite come together 100% as we imagine.

When I asked the woman at the front desk if there were specific times for lap swimming, she hesitated, as if waiting for a punch line.  “So, you haven’t been here before…?”

best laid plans

A trip to the pool provided a more enlightened view of just how silly my question was. Oh, sure, lap swimming. You go for it, buttercup! ♥

Triathalife Plan B – water displacement, potato chip eating, and hedgehog appreciation.

awesome

splash down #428

rain umbrella

Factory Tour

Animal Ambassadors

#wewantahedgehog

 

Up hill

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InspirationI have one rule for running up hill.

I never ask myself how I’m feeling when I am running up a hill.  My answer is never positive.  And worse – listening to my answer creates an opening for more negative thoughts and almost always spirals right down into ” I don’t think I can do this – maybe I should quit.”   It’s so much harder to run up a hill when I’m telling myself I can’t do it.

Running up hills, like the one on Green Street in Ashland’s Half Marathon, is just hard.  The energy requirement creates enormous physical stress on the body.  This physical stress triggers our hormones and becomes mental stress or a negative perspective.  The fact is that the hill will always be easier to climb if you tell yourself that you can do it.  (think little engine that could – “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.”)  The second fact is that there will always be hills – so it’s best to have a strategy before you are halfway up and thinking about quitting.

Here’s some good news.  If you happen to find yourself without a strategy tomorrow, while running up Green Street – we have added affirmations on the course for you.  So one step at a time – you can conquer the Green Street Monster.  If you find yourself running next to a woman dressed as a fairy muttering “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.” – say hi.  That’s me!

Good luck tomorrow to all the runners!