Lay Off...

I realize this is a bit of a hostile title for a blog. I don't mean to sound mean or nasty, but there are some things that people just don't understand.

Let me start with my training schedule. I realize that I am training as much as a part time job, while working a full time job, and I don't get "paid to train" (which somehow makes it totally acceptable to most), I realize it full well. It's part of the life I have chosen right now, and although I might bitch and complain some, I really wouldn't have it any other way. I'm pursing my dream here, right now, this is it, and I really am happy about it!!

The reason for the start of this rant is that I know some people think I am wayyyy overdoing it. They are there at the gym, some of them are in my family, heck, sometimes one of them is my very own mother (yes, I know it is out of concern and love Mom, 10-4 on that)! I know to them, it seems, well, ludicrous that I do multiple workouts per day, some stretching up to 3-4 hours during the week. When they ask me what I am doing for training that day, I'm honest, because I feel honesty is the best policy. I'm not going to sit back and sugar-coat something because I am afraid you will think I'm off kilter or what I am doing doesn't make any sense. It may seem off kilter to you, but there are plenty of people out there doing way more than I am, all of the time, like 24/7. They live, sleep, eat and breath it. You know where many of them are right now - BEIJING! That's right, they're Olympians, and I'm not saying I am an Olympian, or even close, but I just want to be the best I can be, do the best I can do, day in, day out. That's it. End of story.

It's all relative. It's relative to your background, your family, your friends, your health, your history...it's all relative. When I started this journey three years ago, I wasn't ready to train at this level. It took time for my body, and mind, to mature and adjust to swimming, biking and running every day and to build the muscles needed to do so. If I had tried to train for 20-25 hours back then I would have died. Well, I wouldn't have died probably, but I could have gotten injured, or burnt out, or it just would have been to much to handle.

Perspective and relativity are my words of the day in relation to this topic. I've been an athlete all my life, so I'm already used to putting in time and effort to train. Prior to tri, it was just all running before. You could only run for so many hours per day, so that kept the training hours down.

I would never tell anyone else that they are training too little, because it's their life, their schedule and their decision. So, if you think I'm overdoing it, please remember it's about the point of reference. I'm doing what I think I need to do to be prepared, end of story (and I even have someone who knows quite a bit more than me about triathlon helping me - Mark Allen Online coaching). So far, the results have been the proof in the pudding. I'm not injured, most days I feel pretty good, and I actually like my training/and my team, so it helps keep me motivated.

Just as ELF wrote about today in her blog, It's Your Thing, she mentioned..

And when I watch the Olympics, I can relate to all of those little things. We’ve all made sacrifices too. Maybe it’s not deciding to eat gluten-free bread but we’ve made sacrifices with our families, work, other things to be able to fully pursue our thing. And to do that is not selfish or unworthy – it’s what you feel is the right thing. For whatever reason, the thing you have chosen to do fills you up in a way that nothing else can. It makes you feel alive, real and purposeful. So you agree to the sacrifices, you do the best you can to balance your life while pursuing your thing.

So, lay off and let me pursing my thing, and if you feel like there is a better way, go ahead and do your way. I'm just already busy here trying to do mine. Yours works for you, mine works for me. It's ok for them to be different. One is not necessarily better, it just might be better for you.

While we're on the subject of laying off, how about laying off on the when we are having children also. Could everyone please stop asking me if I am going to get pregnant now I am "going to Hawaii!" Yes, I did have a goal, yes, in October I will hopefully achieve it by completing the Ironman. Does that turn me into a baby making machine, maybe, but maybe not. Maybe Kyle and I aren't ready yet, maybe we still have time to spend together and places to go, people to meet. I'm not 55, I'll be 29 in exactly one month and one day, so let's just stop acting like I am about to become menopausal!!! I love kids, I think they are awesome, and I hope to have at least one and maybe more some day. I would just like to be ready,and maybe I will never be really ready, but maybe I'll be more ready than I am right now. Ironman in October friends, one goal, one motivation, one thing at a time please. A wise women once said to me "We make plans, and God laughs." We'll know when it's the right time for us, and the operative words here being FOR US. I don't think that time has arrived. I'll let you know when God sends the memo, we're tight, we've got each other's back, so don't mess with my homie.

Ok.. I'm on In Living Color now.. but you get my point. Lay Off (but not any of you personally, whatever, you get my drift!!).

Can I get some love/support here on this!