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.

Behold!

I am doing a new thing!
Once again (kind of like in 2009) several currents in my life are flowing together, impelling me forward into new and delicious doings - bold hearted and terrifying.  My "new year" begins Nov 1 (as you may or may not know about me).  I closed the book on the wretchedness of the year before and invited awesomeness in.  Gosh - the universe is amazing in reply!

I've added a little box on the sidebar linking to a fun "class" I'm taking through Big Picture Classes called "One Little Word".  The idea is to adopt one word - to explore it and invite all that it means to you into your life.  A touchstone, a process, a discovery - whatever you need or want - this one little word gets invited into your life.  My word is "Behold!" and it is seriously working.

Don't know if you can see how scared I am in this picture.  John says I look a little sarcastic.  (I promise you, I am not!)  I'm being BOLD - taking a picture for a self-portrait IMMEDIATELY just like the instructions said to*.  This is what I look like right after I've been struck by lightning (in an emotional - not physical way).  This is what it looks like when I commit whole heartedly to running my first marathon (not to mention competing in Ironman France 2014), writing and publishing my first book, while working full time (as a coach, workshop facilitator, and software trainer).  This is what I look like when it dawns on me how big I dream, how much I want the path I see before me, and how many steps imma have to take to get there.  Hoo-whee!

A few hours after all this Behold!-ing went on, I received a package in the mail from one of my wonderful clients.  Out of the blue.  For no reason other than she saw it and was struck by how perfect she thought it would be for me - she sent me a sign saying "Every Long Journey Begins with a Single Step".  She had no way to know what was going on for me.  I am friendly but do not throw my stuff at my clients.  And I hadn't had time to publicly post my ambitious goals and wholehearted commitment anywhere like Facebook (or here) yet! She acted on a "hunch" and was thereby a vessel for kindly affirmation from the universe.

Thank you universe! (I also thanked my client - profusely - in case you might be worried I hadn't.) I am buckling in for the ride.  I think of RBR's mantra for long runs and races, "Settle in.  We're gonna be here a while."  I know there is an awful lot of work - training, new skills to acquire, old negative habits of thought and action to eliminate, daily practice, unforeseen obstacles - the whole gamut.  But that's part of the joy, isn't it? Expect to hear more my pals.  I fear I am likely to dump it all here, triathlon and more.  Peace!

*Another thing you may or may not know about me is that I'm a "think about it for a long time" kinda gal.  Not so naturally a "read this and do it IMMEDIATELY" kinda gal.  I intuitively *know* what is right for me.  It is actually easy because for the big stuff - like falling in love with a person or sport - it feels like being struck by lightning must.  My hair stands up on end; I feel singed inside and out; I sob and laugh and scare the crap out of my partners who run in from the next room to find out what is wrong; I am wordless.  That distinct is the knowing.  Even for the littler stuff, the smaller decision trees, I hear an internal *click*. But the acting on it?  Especially the big stuff? Um yeah.  Not so much.  My fact-finder self has to research the hell out of something, take a class, interview anyone I can find who might have info, make pro/con lists etc.  (ad nauseum)  Taking a picture of myself to best capture "Behold!" at work in my life RIGHT THEN AND THERE (without going to shower, change clothes, think about background, etc) was itself an embodiment of beholding!  A step within a step.  I think it is going to be a very scary busy year.

It's A New Day. And A New Plan!

This past Saturday was the B2B.  You know, the race I didn't get to do.  So...after wallowing in my grief about that (and a few other things) for the entire week leading up to it, Donna and I decided to start looking ahead.  We began by getting away for the weekend.  Sadly, we couldn't afford to actually go anywhere.  

Instead, we put up an AWAY sign on our door and pretended the weekend was a rejuvenating retreat.  I played Julie McCoy* and made a fun poster of possible activities (games, movies, surprise field trip (to get spa pedicures), and fun meal options) that Donna had to select.  No money = creativity!  

Saturday morning - the day of the race - we did look at the weather in Wilmington (yikes - cold, windy, possible rain - although with SNOW from Marlyland thru New England that day, I suppose the B2B-er's were lucky enough). And then? We went for a run.  Not just any run.  But we went for our first run on the official path to IRONMAN FRANCE 2014!  Coincidentally - it was also my first run of any kind in two months. 

 See these pictures?  Bare feet+puddles+soccer field+(hard-to-photograph cold temps)=FIRST  RUN!
"Why did you run barefoot?" you ask. I will tell you.  That is all I'm allowed to do! Barefoot runs, 100 yds or so - about three or four times in a session.  Yep, my first run didn't even equal a quarter of a mile.  Sigh.

But I'm not going to be a barefoot runner from now on out.  Just for a little while.  Until I learn to run.  (Remember how my left leg missed some basic instruction at left leg school years ago? Apparently BOTH legs and my feet missed the day they taught "How to Run". I tell you, my whole body is going to end up with a diploma from remedial body school before this PT stuff is done!)

Anyway - I "learned" to run in Boot Camp.  By running a mile and a half for the first time in my life on the very first day my company formed. For me, running in Boot Camp was muuuuuuuch more about surviving than form.  We ran every day. After the first day, never less than two miles. For nine weeks.  Sometimes in chukka boots**. Sometimes in the running shoes we were told to bring with us. Which brings us to the first pair of running shoes I ever bought.  The day before Boot Camp.  I went to a real running store, manned by a condescending asshole trained professional running shoe fitter who took one look at me carefully analyzed my running gait before handing me the perfect (and ridiculously expensive) shoes for a runner like myself.  He said, "Here, these are the best ones we have for a heel striker."  "What's that?" I asked.  "Don't worry about it.  Slower, heavier runners are almost always heel strikers.  Trust me, these are the right shoe."  I bought those Saucony Jazz shoes (but never went back to that store) and I pretty much just bought the updated version of that shoe every once in a while until about four years ago.  Then I went and had an actual analysis done (guess what - still heavy, still slow, still a heel striker) and switched to Brooks Glycerin. (To be 100% honest - I didn't have a scientific reason for the switch - even with the electronic pressure mat thing measuring whatever they measure. The Brooks felt fine, were in prettier colors and on sale that day. And? They were the ones Donna wore. So I switched. And still never learned any more about the heel strike business.) Which brings us back to the "learning how to run" bit.  There is a crap ton*** of debate (here's one article and follow up comments as an example) about how to run. I don't so much understand all the minute particulars.  I don't aim to. My PT's goal is to get me in touch with my body's natural gait and to help me learn to minimize the extraneous movement and rotation.  That's her idea of teaching me to run.

I ran!  It was glorious!  I was sore from running less than a quarter of a mile.  Which hurt my feelings.  But still...RUNNING AGAIN!

What do y'all think about the heel strike stuff? Any advice on changing or not? Any of my blog buddies POSE folks or CHI RUNNERS? Any anti- those methods?

It is fascinating to me how many facets of our sport(s) there turn out to be.  Peace y'all.

TODAY I LOVE: running (duh!) and also puddles (though I prefer the ones that aren't almost frozen!)


*Gosh darn it. Now I have that stupid song stuck in my head.
**I wanted to post a picture to show you exactly how NOT-designed-for-running chukka boots are were.  But the google search turned up about a million and twelve images of boots none of which were remotely similar to what we wore. However, I did find these two gems.  I realize that those of you who clicked either/both of those links just learned waaaaaay more about Navy footwear issues than you ever wanted to know, but you gotta love the word "boon docker" doncha?
***That's the scientific term for "A LOT" if you were unaware.