New Goal

Has it really been two weeks since my last post? Whoops! Sorry!!!

So I've been giving the new diet a solid go. No wheat, gluten free and no caffeine. Mostly I'm eating all fresh vegetables, lots of brown rice, and fruit. I eat a ton of fish, some chicken and I found some yummy recipe for tofu that turn out top be pretty good. I have found a bakery that makes delicious wheat free muffins and fresh rice bread and although it's too pricey to be a staple, makes a yummy treat on the weekends. I've said so long to cereal, my beloved toast and peanut butter, but by far the most missed is my morning coffee. Ahh sweet, sweet warm morning goodness, how I miss thee.

Honestly though, it's not so bad. I've noticed a difference in the way I feel. Much lighter and cleaner. My energy is still up and my appetite has decreased. Old habits die hard, but there are sacrifices I'm willing to make if it helps me feel better.

Ok enough boring stuff - let's get to this week! A few fun things happened in the last two weeks. First and foremost - I got a car!!! WOO HOO! Life has already become so much easier - I have some freedom, I'm self reliant, and best of all, getting from place to place is no longer an exercise in patience and frustration. I no longer have to carry my life in a back pack, well.. the list of reasons why getting a car has made a huge difference can go on and on and on. Let's just say I'm thrilled to have wheels.

Second - Time Trials!!!

Remember back in Feb when we did the first time trials. Well this was our first chance to see what the improvement has been.

Run: 1 mile x 2:
Feb: 7:47
March: 7:41, 7:48

Swim: 1ooM
Feb: 1:32
March: 1:30

Swim: 50 Kick only
Feb: 56s
March: 57s

Swim: endurance
Feb: 400M: 7:41
March: 1000M: 21:30

Each were small improvements, but improvements nonetheless. So I'm happy. Running is still my biggest challenge, I really wish I was a better runner, but c'est la vie I suppose.

Ok. Last update before I hit the sack (9pm is my new witching hour - I've got no choice in the matter, seems my body just decides to shut'er down at 9pm now).

I've set my sights on a new goal. Not that Ironman isn't still my long term goal, but I've got a short term goal that I'd like to explore. I've discovered that the secret to achieving goals starts with something very simple - tell somebody. Until you verbalize your goals, they're just dreams. Dreams are wonderful things too, but to make them a reality, start with telling someone about them.

I'm going to try and qualify for the World Championships in Immenstadt , Germany in 2010 in the long course triathlon. Long course is the same distance as the half Ironman (2K swim, 90K bike and 21K run). Many of the people that I train with qualified for either the long or short course last year and are training for the World's in Australia this year in October. In chatting with some of them about their qualification race, I hear the same thing time and time again - many people qualify in their first year racing, or at least at their first attempt at making the cut.

It's funny how things I learn from triathlon always seems to filter out into my regular life, or at least have a direct link to how I live in my 'other' (non-triathlon) life. I seem to always, at first, set the bar to low. I never reach far enough the first time and have convinced myself that it takes years and years of doing something (whatever it is) before you can become the best (or at least really good at it). See, I always thought that people that did stuff like running marathons, or doing Ironman's were these finely tuned, machine like athletes that trained for their whole lives to become what they are. The people you see on magazine covers, in advertisements and on TV, yeah - those are the pros... it's their JOB to race and be what they are. What you don't see, is (literally) the thousands (in some big races - tens of thousands) of regular people, like you me and everyone else, that have set a goal, and are achieving it. Up until this year, I thought the biggest goal I could achieve was to complete the Ironman. That's that - the biggest thing I could think of. Now, after speaking with 3 or 4 of my training peers about their experience qualifying for Worlds, and how I am where they were a year ago (fitness wise and goal setting wise), I think to myself... wouldn't it be fun to race in a World Championship???


Goodnight, sweet dreams :)
S.