This is where I am at

I have been out of the triathlon loop for about 9 months now going on ten. I have just had little interest in getting back on my bike and in the pool. I am still running because I find it very relaxing and a nice stress reliever which we all need. I am running the Dam to Dam this weekend. Not in as good of shape as I would like, but I still think I should PR in it. My time lately has really been preoccupied with softball. I joined a fast pitch league and really love it. It is a nice change. I just wish it was more often. I have also joined 2 other slow pitch leagues which are fun as well. I am going back to school in the fall which is stressing me out. Just the work and hectic schedule that goes along with it is something I am not looking forward to. The three years will fly by, right?

Life's importancies - is that a word?

I have been a little preoccupied and not updating my blog. I don't know if it is the lack of triathlon interest at this point or other things are just more important. I hope it is the later. I have been working out, but not triathlon specific workouts. I finally got on my bike and trainer the other day to find it was very uncomfortable. The steep geometry was not like the spin bikes at the gym. I remember when I use to find them uncomfortable because they weren't steep enough. I have been going to spin class about twice a week and the other days have had random workout classes or just me on the treadmill running. I have not been in the pool for a long time and I don't want to. It is funny that I love triathlons and hate when they cancel the swim portion, but I do not want to train for the swimming. I think it is because I put in all the work, but don't really know if I am doing it right or not. I feel I can put in 5 min or 500 hours and still come out the same. I will worry about that later. For now I am using the spin class to push me on the bike. Even though the bike is my strongest, I feel that I can gain so much more if I could just push myself in training like I do when I am racing. Same goes for running. I have gotten into and love the long slow runs. Working on pushing myself a little more in that too. In the mean time, I have applied to get my Masters of Architecture. Still waiting to hear back. I spent about a week of constant getting my application together. I missed the Jan 1st deadline. Not because I was lazy and put it off, it was because I decided Jan 21st that I was going to apply. I got my portfolio together and studied for the GRE and took the exam all within a week. It was pretty intense. I just hope they still consider my application. I am very excited about going back to school, but at the same time I love my job and could not have asked for a better opportunity than I get now. It will really make the decision hard when fall comes. For now I am still trying to get back into the flow of working out and slowly making the transition over to race focus. That reminds me, I still have not registered for any races this year. Last year by January 1st I had registered for all of the races I was doing. I am still in the post-Ironman depression stage. Hope the weather will help me snap out of it soon.

Oh my

Where have I been? Being lazy. So much, yet so little has gone on in my life. December was all a blur. I "started" working out again because I was starting to put on a few pounds and wanted to nip that in the butt right away. I got to the gym about 3 days a week. I was trying to find a women's basketball league to play on, but no such luck so I have been randomly taking on 8 year olds at the gym. Only been beat once, lol. I have been fighting off getting back in the pool. Mostly because I hate the pool at my gym because it is disgusting, but also, it is boring. I have been doing the spin class twice a week which I really like because it takes me out of my comfort zone that I have been training in for the last year and a half. Christmas was good and I enjoy a lot of food and great company. The snow storm almost kept me from visiting my family, but it came early enough it really wasn't an issue. I spent Christmas eve and day with my boyfriend and his family. It was very enjoyable. For Christmas, my boyfriend's parents bought us tickets and a whole trip to the Orange Bowl so New years eve, off to Miami, well Fort Lauderdale the first 2 days. It was so nice those first 2 days, then it just got colder and colder. It would have been great had a prepared and brought proper clothing. All in all it was good. I was able to get out and run out in the "warm" weather. It definitely helped my winter laziness. This week I am getting back into the swing of things. I discovered a machine at my gym that I really like. It actually challenged me. At first I thought it was worthless until I figured out how to run it. I have no idea what it is called, but it has "floating" foot pedals and the moving arms. Basically simulates cross country skiing. I am on level 1 because the resistance was so tough during the cardio training. I will conquer this. It has also got me excited to go back to the gym on the days there is no spin class. I have had my trainer set up in my house now for about 2 months. I have been on it twice. Can't do it this year. I think it was the hours and hours I spent on it last winter that I can't bring myself to get on it or even want to look at it. Sorry bike, I love you, but I am not ready to spend that much time with you right now. I have been trying to find alternate training tools rather than just swim bike and run. I feel that the Ironman not only sparked some interest, but burnt me out. I think it is just the fact that I am not training for an Ironman anymore. It makes me sad. I have decided on a few goals this year, things that I have lacked on during the IM training:
1. Get moving. No more long slow training all the time
2. Get involved with activities outside the triathlon world
I just need to get my mind back into the whole training thing. Hopefully spring and the warm weather will re-motivate me.