Couch to ATHLETE!

I had a fairly mild week, between a fast walk on Monday, a decent run on Wednesday and a tough run on Saturday, I haven't done much. My bike ride was called off today and my friend who I also work out with is going to be unavailable for a week (blech), so workouts will be much more challenging and a lot less fun... Remember, I am a social athlete ! Right about now, I wish I knew where I lost my iPod even though I do not like working out with music. I am a believer in mind over matter and this past week I let matter take over and so now I have a choice to make... let things continue to be complicated or be intentional with everything I do. Quotes move me, motivate me and build me up. There are a number of quotes that I draw from and I plan to use this week to move me along: "I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul."  It is probably no secret that this quote from Invictus has empowered me to take control when faced with difficult situations. It was ...

I should probably change the name of my blog at this point. The fact is that I have completed some extremely significant events which in my mind qualifies me as an athlete. I mean, I moved 70.3 self propelled miles in one day this summer; I may or may not ever do it again but I will keep running and cycling and swimming!!! I have also been faced by some adversity this summer. Nothing too bad, but enough to throw me off balance for a bit. As I reflect on the gifts that my athleticism has given me, I continue to come back to the same things: better health, self confidence, feeling alive and friends. Better Health: Over the past several years I have lost over 100 pounds. I still have some more to lose but every day I am closer to my goal. Let me just post a couple of pictures to illustrate the changes, you will be shocked!!! I still am when I look at these pictures next to one another. I think these will tell the story of better health in a more meaningful way than any words I can ...

This morning, I woke up at 5:00 am to go and participate in a relay triathlon with Tara and Sue. This was the day that Tara was swimming her big swim! I was more excited than Tara and was looking forward to sharing this experience with her. On our drive up to Alum Creek I was lamenting about the fact that there wasn't any good music on the radio. As we were pulling into the park, my guilty pleasure came on the radio and I made the declaration that this was going to be a great race! My guilty pleasure: We stood in line, set up the transition area and sent Tara off on her swim. She was a champ and had a great swim!!! She ran into the transition area at which point I hopped on my bike and took off for my 26 mile bike ride. I was following the road markers and at a certain point felt in my gut that I was off course. I looked at my watch and was about 17 miles or so into the ride. Then I looked again at about 20 miles and realized I was still heading away from the park. I turned...

I have a lot to be thankful for in life. As it is important to let your friends/family know when you are thinking about them and appreciate them, I also think it is important to identify the things you are thankful for in your life to help propel you forward. I am going to do just that! I am going to jot down some things that I am thankful for. Read on if you wish: In the last 30 days I have ridden 150 mile and have logged 40 miles running. The beauty of keeping a training log is that you can look back and see what you have accomplished. I really wish I was better at logging my swimming, but if it isn't on my watch, it simply doesn't get logged. The good news is that the black cloud hanging over my athletic pursuits is starting to lift...  Although this blog is primarily about my athletic pursuits, I like to think I am a fairly well rounded person. I like to be mobile and active but I also like live music, random unplanned days with friends, talking about the topics that ...