Only 105 weeks to go!

I HAVE been doing new things - building my coaching business, running sporadically, healing A LOT from the stress of last year - and since the Universe is SUCH an interesting place - another new thing I've been doing is handling the stress of THIS year in new and (hopefully) healthy ways.

Stress this year has included a tree falling on our house, which totaled one of our cars and necessitated us living in a hotel (kids and dogs and all) for five weeks only to return home and have two appliances (dishwasher and gas stove top) break in alarming ways with the kicker being having another car totaled by someone rear-ending John as he was at a dead stop trying to pull into our driveway.  Sigh.  As you can see, I have had many opportunities to practice my new de-stress techniques.  I am EXCEEDINGLY grateful that all* of our stress has involved just "stuff".  The hassle factor is high but that's it.  People are ok and stuff can be replaced or done without.  Still - learning to handle hassle without having it negatively affect my body is a big goal of mine.  I think learning the skill of "resilience" is key to my Iron journey.  One new "tool" in my stress management repertoire comes from Heart Math and involves thinking of an uplifting/inspiring event.  You know it - I think of IRONMAN FRANCE 2014!!

Fun IMFR stuff -
1) IMFR 2012 is this Sunday!  Yay!
2) I don't know anyone personally to follow (now that they've barred Lance**) - but I did discover by perusing the competitor lists that there are THREE women in my age group from my local area in the race!  How cool is that?  I am totally wangling some introductions or something.  Surely I can find a way to meet these women when they get back!

Fun on-the-way-to-IMFR stuff:
Our training for the OBX marathon got derailed enough that we are pushing the schedule back a bit.  New plan is the OBX half mary and then the full shebang come Jan 27th in Miami.  I'm thinking Miami and Nice may have some similar conditions.  And that keeps us running steadily through the winter - which we NEED!  Historically - it has not been our strong point.  I'm excited about following the Hal Higdon Novice Supreme*** training plan.  I *heart* training plans!

So - happy summer everyone.  I am having fun reading your race reports and training stories.  Peace!

*Ok - I take that "all" back.  The evening the tree fell (=worst Cinco de Mayo EVER!) I had actually spent the entire day in the emergency room with our youngest son who had gotten smashed by an illegal check in a Lacrosse tournament.  He ended up with broken ribs but no lung damage.  Yay.  He's 13 and healed in about three weeks.  In fact I dropped him off at LAX camp yesterday:

See? He's FINE.  (Says the nervous Mama who is trying very hard not to worry about her baby's return to a sport involving boys crashing into each other and whacking each other with sticks.)

**Uh - NOT to imply that I know Lance Armstrong personally.  That would be cool but so far - haven't met the guy.  Still - I was planning on tracking him in IMFR until all this new bs started for him.  I guess the "innocent until PROVEN guilty" idea isn't part of sportsmanship??  I don't know. I have no idea if he cheated way back when or not.  I guess anyone is capable of it - but that many drug tests over that many years plus his leadership in the fight (personal and public) against cancer? Seems unlikely to me - and BESIDE THE POINT in terms of triathlon.  Worried about him "cheating" now? Ok - do more tests!  But barring him? Disappointing and unfair I think.  They can go back and strip him of titles if it gets "proven" but if they are wrong now- it's not like they can go back and give him the chance to compete in the race they barred him from.  Stupid officials.  :(  Anyway... (hand on my heart, think of a happy place, think of a happy place).
***Novice Supreme? Maybe it is telling how addicted to Mexican food I really am - but how do you read those words and not think "Nacho Supreme"??  And the Nacho Supreme Marathon training plan cracks me up.  It is soooo me.