Ramble Ramble Ramble

• On: 12/08/2009 20:44:11

I LOVE this time of the year!  Yes, minus the cold weather, I love Christmas time. I love Christmas music and decorations and giving and shopping and baking and Christmas cards.  Yes, it is a busy time, but it is a magical time and with kids who still Believe, it is just awesome to see Christmas through their eyes!    I know the party is almost over as Graham and Morgan are asking some very smart questions about Santa…so, we are enjoying every last minute of Santa that we can!

Here we are tonight getting our Christmas tree...can you say SNOW?  You can see the love on my face!

Due to this crazy time of the year, I have been very scattered in my thoughts, so I thought I would just ramble through my blog too!

·         Today I met with the Trainer.  I actually was NOT nervous but I (for a brief second) felt sorry for her.  I am relentless and I think my expectations sometimes are too high.  It is hard…I expect A LOT from trainers and coaches because I know what I do – so I have to remind myself to be OPEN to different things and new people helping me.  I do have to make fun of myself though.  We did an analysis of my posture, balance, strength, flexibility – the whole package.   Funny because you REALLY think you are in good shape until you do something like this.  I mean, argh!  My balance, of the four, was the best.  Flexibility was the worst – by far.  I could barely sit up straight with my feet and legs fully extended in front of me and touch my toes let alone move that metal thing across that board.  I KNOW the Trainer (this is a private studio so thankfully no one else was there) was like….”How in the hell does this girl race Triathlons!?”  hee hee.  She could tell right away that my rotation was OVER-developed on my right side and that I swam (ahem) a lot….I only breathe (when I swim hard or race) on my right side.  Some very interesting feedback.  But, I am committed to being more “FIT” in 2010 – and this is my #2 goal.  My #1 goal is to change my body composition a bit more.  WITHOUT giving up my chocolate – yes yes.  So, now I need to decide if I will commit and see her on a regular basis.  I think I need to – it is clearly evident when I spend 60 minutes getting assessed.  Time to shut up and put out!

·         I wish I could tell you what I have decided to do for 2010.  Not yet.  In all fairness to me, I just have not had time to think about my 2010 races quite yet.  I had a great meeting with Runner’s High N Tri today.   They are one of the TOP 50 Run stores in the country and Mark and Pom (owners) asked me to come in and talk about some business partnerships and I am FIRED up for 2010!  Some very exciting things.  THIS opportunity is something I have been waiting forever for and have worked hard to be a good athlete, SOLID community supporter and good coach and responsive and that is paying off.    Mark is also very close with Trudy – who I co-coordinate the Open Water swim races in the summertime with – so it is all very interconnected here (as in most areas).  At this meeting I agreed to do some local races (run races too) and it ignited something in me – LOCAL LOCAL LOCAL was ringing through my brain all day and I actually got excited about it.  So….what to do what to do what to do….!!!!?  J

·         Elizabeth and I are hosting & coaching a Triathlon Camp here in Chicago !  We have scheduled it for Memorial Day weekend of 2010 here.  Base camp will be at my house and we are working on the schedule – it will include some really great coached workouts, swim instruction, OW swimming, run analysis, group rides, etc!  We are keeping the fees down as well – and limiting it to 12 athletes.  Watch this space and Elizabeth’s blog for more details, but IF you are interested let me know!   Sorry guys, GIRLS only this time.

·         Ok, I am going to vent for a minute.  SORRY, but I have to.  I have spent countless hours trying to figure out the new Training Peaks.  I DO NOT LIKE.  Do I need to remind you that I do not like change?  Well, this is the granddaddy of change.  I finally had a little (ok big) meltdown – FULL alligator tears – last week and sent Gear (COO) another email raising the white flag, he called me right away.  I just laid it out there…I told him that THIS new 3.0 version of TP is NOT user-friendly. It is like all the techies went into a black cave to think of the hardest and most complex way to complicate a training log.  99% of my athletes do NOT want most of what is on there.  And, it has made my life a struggle – and while it is not that big of a deal for most – it IS a huge deal for me – I spend all day on TP…so when you change software after working on it for 12+ years all day IT warrants alligator tears.   Now I am having weekly conversations with Gear, but I too, feel sorry for Gear (do you see a pattern here?).  I am dragging my ass and feet on this one.  And, trust me, I have thought about shifting all my work off TP…and who knows what long-term I will do (ding ding business opportunity for someone here)…but TP is the benchmark now in the market and their support staff is very responsive.  So, for now, I will LEARN the new program and bite my lip.  Sometimes we all need a reminder that less is more.

·         My off season is going well.  This weekend will be 1 month from Clearwater.  Thankfully I do not miss the major training much – how can you in December?  I prefer to be festive and do fun holiday stuff now anyway.  But, I took the week after Clearwater totally off.  Then, the week in Tucson I did not do too much – just ran a bit and biked 1 time.  I mean, IT was nearly 80 degrees, it was impossible NOT to go outside!!  Then, last week I did a short workout (under 1 hour ) everyday but 1.  I was cracking up because I was doing “nothing” and one day I ran an easy 6 miles and I realized that is much more than 95% of the population does!  Lol…we lose perspective, don’t we!!?  But, NO swimming for 3 weeks. I got back into the pool with some friends this past Friday and I did miss it.  It felt so good to feel the cool, relaxing water again.  I have not yet gone back to Masters yet.  Because when I go back, I have to be PLUGGED in and ready to rock n roll…so, I think that may be Sunday AM for me.  I am slowly getting back into things with my focus on just low key stuff – sleeping – socializing – shopping- playing Santa Clause – making snowmen (did today!) – Strength – family and friends.  It is nice to get 15-20 hours of my week back!   But, by December 26^th, I am done with all of this and want my normal, routine life back! So, just another 2 weeks of low key stuff and then I will buckle down a bit.

·         Oh, and I am going to say that I LOVE my PEAPOD. I can not believe I waited this long.  Peapod is an on-line grocery store that has EVERYTHING and you order online and they deliver!  LOVE IT.  Mary B uses it too and I think it must be a savior for busy, working moms! 

My parents are having the kids on Saturday for their Annual Gingerbread House making day with their cousins…and then my lovely-so-wonderful sister is taking the twins for a sleepover on Saturday and then keeping them on Sunday for a birthday party.  And, then I have the Triathlon Team Holiday party on Sunday night – so Jerome and I have a weekend of FUN things planned!  We are going to run together (what a treat!), go to Starbucks and read the paper and drink hot drinks (WHO does this?) and shop and go out for dinner. I am going to see if I can talk him into a movie (I want to see Precious!) !!!?   YAY!!  I am really looking forward to it all.