It ain't easy.

Training for a Half Ironman is not easy, but neither is being married, having kids, or having a job. At least for me, life in general is hard, and adding anything to the mix outside of the "normal" daily routine makes things chaotic enough that I often find myself on the verge of quitting my aspirations. But when I manage to accomplish everything, I feel so satisfied, that it makes the adventure worth it. This year, Coach C had laid down the gauntlet on training... the volume of work has doubled (if not tripled) from same time last year, and the quality is also under tight scrutiny.
A few weeks ago I was whining about the volume of work and Coach C goes... "Sure, do nothing. But I bet that's not what the woman who won last year's race is doing right now..." That little asinine comment has plagued my mind since, making me train harder and better than ever before. Sure I could get away with less training in order to finish the race, but not if I want to improve on last year.
So I am working on pushing myself harder and for longer because I want to achieve my goals.
And yes, training puts a strain on everything- my body, mind, kids, marriage, down-time, vacation time, friendships, nutrition, etc. Thus, pushing myself to the edge of my comfort zone in any area of life is not an adventure that I can accomplish on my own. Without the support of Paul, my girls, mom, coach, our nanny, and my good friends who encourage me to keep going, I would not be en-route to reaching my dreams- be it athletically, or work-wise.
Thankfully, I have an incredibly supportive network. My family is amazing, and so are my friends. This year, even my tools are spectacular- I have a beautiful triathlon bike! It's a 2016 Cervelo P2 time-trial bike. I've wanted one of these for the better part of 15 years, and thankfully this year this all came together for me to afford it. I put Benji's pedals on it and it goes incredibly fast!!!

Lessons from The Sancho... believing in me is half the battle.

The last couple of days have been very introspective. Coach C has launched me into training with no mercy. Over the last week I joined the local Masters Swim Team, run endless hilly miles and even sneaked in a 30 mile ride after who knows how many months of not doing ANY kind of cycling. 

Just as I was beginning to complain about my choice of sport, my dog Sancho's cancerous tumor took a turn for worse. He had been dealing with it for about a month, but today, his time here with us ended. He was an awesome dog- a pure bred mutt who never doubted his nobility. While he was never able to communicate with words, it was all too clear that he believed his heritage to be that of royalty. He was convinced he belonged to the landed gentry of his canine world.  Sancho was terrible, wild and bossy as a puppy. He turned into the world's best shadow chaser in his teens and the laziest dog in old age. He was our good ol' man, and we will miss him dearly.

His passing has really made me ponder a couple of things- 

1) How life continues to prove its ephemeral nature.

2) How believing in yourself and your story is half the battle. Sancho never doubted his nobility and always played the part. During his 10 years with us, I must have been asked hundreds of times what breed he was and how regal he looked. His confidence and regal demeanor was an integral part of him- he believed his royal breed into being. 

This last point is what I'm extrapolating today into my life. I have to believe in myself and my goals in order to make them a reality. But it all needs to start in my head. 

So here's to a life well lived and to believing in oneself!

Sancho- RIP 04/24/2016

And so a new training season is upon us!

I have spent the last 6 months or so focusing on my business start up www.salarycoaching.com which has taken off and is doing quite well. I'm psyched to be doing what I love and helping women all over the world. That said, my training has almost fallen by the wayside... I've done some crossfit here and there, done some trail running and a triathlon over Christmas break, but otherwise NADA.
Until yesterday.
Yesterday I began again plotting how to take over the world and place in my age group at Timberman. The itch to race is in full swing and I'm quite certain it has something to do with spring. My inspiration is still Benji, and my coach is Carlitos (Benji's best friend and former pro).
This year my goal is to train harder than last year. My goals are lofty, and some would say unachievable, but alas... what do we have if not hope and dreams? I want to place in the top 10 of my age group. I am going to train as if I could place in the top 10. Better yet.... I believe that I am going to place in the top 10!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The challenge is on!!!

HERE'S TO A GREAT 2016 SEASON!!!!

They say you can't have it all... but I'm out to prove them wrong!

“The good in life does not depend on life’s length, but upon the use we make of it. It is possible, or rather usual, for a man who has lived long, lived too little.” – Seneca 

Today is my 4th day of training and I am really sore. Not merely from working out, but from chasing my two girls around and a couple of sleepless nights. Running a business, cooking dinner, dealing with spring colds, and the overall life outside of my need can be time-consuming. But then add in my own ambitions, and the day isn't long enough! 
That said, I'm determined to see my ambitions through. I want to have it all- a successful and satisfied life. For me, that means figuring a way to juggle my family, work and athletic aspirations. This is a work in progress, but I'll get there one day! 

Flattering words from a friend...

Sandra is my triathlon buddy- we did the 70.3 Timberman tri together and are looking at races together next season again. She's an incredibly speedy runner and a very inspiring person... Needless to say I am extremely psyched to have made her top 5 list!!!

Organic Runner Mom Blog

This totally made my weekend!!!

And just as you thought I'd left this blog in the dust....

Yes, I've been MIA. Life has been a little hectic.
As you might have realized by my Facebook page, I've started my own business helping teach women how to negotiate better salaries and advocate for themselves and their compensation. You can learn more and follow me at www.salarycoaching.com.

As for my other antics- I didn't anticipate how sluggish I would become after the 1/2 IM! I was having a really hard time eating healthy, getting up to train, and being athletic overall. I tried to make up excuses- my wrist was hurting (from a pretty pathetic bike spill), too tired to wake up,  my start-up was consuming too much time, etc. But I hit a turning point when the scale told me I had put on 8 pounds since the race! Eeeeeeek!!!!!!!

Now I'm back out on the training arena. Not sure what for... I need to find a race (and I am happy to take suggestions). For now, I'm taking it to the trails... and making the whole family hit the trails as well!

Hiking Balch Hill.

Got lost on a three mile trail run... ended up doing seven!!! 

Family hike in Lyme

Maya and Lucia taking a break...

Taking another break...

What happens next?

It's quite amazing how you can go from being incredibly disciplined to incredibly lazy in the span of 24 hours. Since the day of the 1/2 Ironman I've dedicated myself to everything except training. To be fair, it has been a busy time in general- I left my job at Dartmouth to pursue my own business helping women negotiate better salaries (more details to come on this soon) and to spend more time home with the girls. Not only is parenting and housekeeping a full time gig in itself, but I've also had the good fortune of client work before formally setting up my business, website, email, etc. 

So, the bottom-line is that I've got a million excuses to not be training, but doesn't everyone? Not having a race to focus on also makes getting motivated a little harder. 

It's so easy to get off track! I have to remind myself to set small goals. Too much ambition just serves to demoralize me. With that- my goal for the fall is simple and fairly straight forward- enjoying the trails. Trail running, mountain biking, hiking with Paul and the girls; all my favorite fall activities. 

(Throwback to fall 2012…)