Every Day I'm Shufflin!

I can't believe I'm quoting a song called party rock anthem. Really Kim??! Yes, really. Well - it's catchy darn it! I find myself breaking into some little techno dance right in my car sometimes (when I have the energy, which is pretty rare these days!).

Did you ever wonder what motivates people? I sure do, all the time. For some people it's money, or power. For others it's improving the world or helping others. For still others its finding a peace about their life. What I've found from both coaching AND life is that people are very different in what provides that motivation. Of course, for many of us, it's putting better numbers on the board, making progress and occasionally, having a breakthrough training session and hopefully race.

What do you do in the dark time though. The times where you're barely balancing everything you have to do, with everything you want to do. When the world is demanding of your time and energy, but let's face it, there's only so much to go around right?!

I'm faced with this question all the time. Sometimes between work meeting that cut into my evenings, pool closings due to weather and even friend or family commitments I get down right disgruntled. I feel lost. I feel like I can't do it, that it's just to much. I try to take it day by day, but darn it, "how much more can I really fit in!!" I ask myself! Reading - PLEASE - no time. Watching TV - again.. laughter... not even close. Life is just too busy for our own good sometimes and the part we miss out on most - you guessed it - recovery.

As I was driving from my house to the airport to pick up business associates, after my 18 mile run yesterday sucking on a 20oz bottle filled with chocolate milk and shoving almonds in my mouth at mock two, I was thinking how nice it would have been to do an ice bath. How my legs were literally throbbing while I was sitting there in the car. There was JUST NO TIME. I could have got up at 4:00am to start, but I could only muster 5:30 because I felt a minimum of 7 hours sleep would get me through long day ahead. Sometimes, something - has got to give.

Ironman training will beat you down. It will wear you out physically and mentally. It will push the limits of what you and your family and friends consider acceptable. If you're like me, you'll miss workouts sometimes just because you'll try, but they just won't happen or sometimes, you'll just say _____ it just because you're tired of trying so hard and killing yourself.

That's when it comes back to the why. It's the same why as on race day, the same why you'll probably think 723,390 times over the course of 10+ hours as the sun beats down on you back and you pop salt tablets like they are candy.

For me, the why is complicated. It changes slightly from year to year, early season to late season. It's a combination of all of these different reasons that sum up how I feel about my life and all the time I spend putting into this ONE thing. It doesn't make it any easier, it just makes it bearable at times when I'm up yet again at dark o'clock, pulling countless yards in the pool or on my bike seat until my hiney / women parts actually feels like they will fall the freak off.

I don't even know if I could put the "why" into words if I tried.. the best I can do is say I believe I'm doing this, all of this, for a reason.... if that reason changes or just doesn't seem right anymore, I'll do something else. So all the "when are you going to __ insert - settle down, have kids, be more normal" you can put that in your pipe and lite it up!

For now, only God knows why I've seem to have been given the combination of glutton for punishment, extremely hard worker and a tieensy tiny bit of talent that has me totally in love with this sport and the people in it. The fact that I can do something I love AND help others like Ryan Ballou and our Ballou Skies team raise money, well, that pretty much sums it up for me at this time. Sometimes I'm gutting it out on the treadmill thinking about the finish of the ironman, and sometimes all the motivation I need is a big old steak dinner or ice cream after the workout is over!

Whatever your why is, figure it out, make peace with it, and keep it in mind when life really starts to bite you in the hiney. Sure, back out of a workout here or there.. it's good for you.. go shopping or spend time with the people you love instead. That's part of sport, that's normal, THAT my friends is a good thing.

If you're not enjoying it, and not motivated to do it - don't. There's no reason to keep pushing yourself to do something you're just not into. Sometimes we go through phases and we need a break. Go ahead, give yourself one. It's ok..

No matter what you love to do though.. keep on shufflin.. life sure is good, and even when it's bad.. because of the people that surround us with love and understanding.. it's still pretty darn good.

illegitimis non carborundum

Do you ever have one of those weeks? Well, let me tell you, I am. Seems like nothing is going right no matter how hard I try. I pretty much feel like this guy.

Even despite all that, there is much to be thankful for, so I can't really complain much. All I can say is that I'll be semi-glad when the weekend is here!

In other news, training seems to be "clicking" these last few weeks and can I just say, my coach might be a bit of a genius. Actually, it's probably that he knows me well, and that is something that every athlete should expect. I just forget sometimes. We just hit one year together - Happy Anniversary Coach Justin, and I'm really thankful that we've made it through some bumps in the road and are in a good place!

Last Sunday I had intervals on the track instead of my usual long run. I thought it was odd, but hey, I'm learning new things every day, so I was pleasantly surprised and excited to do something different. The only strange part was that he said my 200's should be between X:XX and X:XX. Let this be known that he only gave me a THREE second range. Yep, just three seconds. I wasn't sure what I could do, let alone, how the heck would he know what I could do??! So, I set off on a beautiful Sunday morning to just see what happened based on perceived effort and good form. As I stopped my watch while crossing the line of my first one I almost couldn't believe it. I had split the three second difference between the range. I was right in the middle. How the heck did he know??!!

Anyway, I continued to do all 20 of them.. yes, there were five miles worth...and felt pretty good though all of them so I was happy. I even negative splitted the last few.

As a race is looming in my future (right after a big meeting which should totally throw me off my schedule / eating habits prior), I can't help but think about the first part of this year. I can't say I've done every workout, but I haven't missed any of the long ones, or the really important interval / speed workouts. I haven't done a ton of volume, as my coach, nor I believe this is even remotely the time of year where I will be attempting to peak or have some amazing time or place at the first race of the year. However, I can say that I haven't gotten sick (which is a dang miracle in itself considering all the sick people around me) and in general, I've felt pretty good most weeks. A little tired, but good. I've rested when he said rest. I've pushed when he said push. Somehow, I feel I'm coming into New Orleans 70.3's small taper right where I need to be fitness-wise for April.

Needless to say, I'm ready to see just how this training is going and blow some rust off the training wheels!

Every one of my seasons thus far has a series of songs that always remind me of that season. In 2005-2006 when I first started it was Ridin Dirty. Beth and I rolling in Coach Jim's Hummer to the Philly Sprint!

In 2007 it was Janet Jackson, Feedback (Feedback).

In 2008 it was Rhianna, Don't Stop the Music!

Let's not even attempt to remember 2009, it was not the best year.. so something sad.

Then 2010 it was both Coldplay's Everything Not Lost and Fort Minor Remember the Name.

I have now developed the "first part of 2011" training montage and it includes Dr. Dre / M&M's I need a Dre (killer song and CRAZY video). NOTE: I could only find the explicit version so please don't be offended. There was no edited version :( I also am in love with Lady Gaga's Born this Way! What a killer song for intervals!!

Ok.. I now have 10+ side business emails in which to respond, packing to do for BOTH trips, and eventually, some sleep to be had (hopefully by 9pm!).

What songs motivate your training?? I could use a few more to get ready for this race!!!!!!!!

10,000 Hours

“Only one who devotes himself to a cause with his whole strength and soul can be a true master. For this reason mastery demands all of a person.” - Albert Einstein
I once heard it takes around 10,000 hours master something, whether it be painting, writing, playing the guitar (Kyle, you have a lot of work to do :), or even triathlon.
The funny part is that when we're doing what we love, most of the time, we barely count the moments, hours or days. We just enjoy the journey and one day we wake up this amazing butterfly, emerging from our cocoon for everyone to see - right?!
Well, maybe for some, but for me, I doubt it will ever be quite like the sentence above. Sometimes I struggle, sometimes I toil, sometimes I slave away working on technique or doing repeats on the track that make me want to hurl. Sometimes I sit in the car with all of my running clothes on at 6:30 at night while the rain pours down on my car and floods the track feeling so run down and just bag the whole thing. That's my life.. that's how it feels to me sometimes.

Other times it's the joy of warmth of the sun beating down on my bike while I watch my closest friends crest the hill in front of me to meet for a ride, or reveling in the sheer determination it took to eek out that last mile repeat and hitting a decent time, or even just speaking to a new triathlete who is totally lost about how to train, or when, or why they are sinking in the pool that makes me smile and remember where I first started.

I'm no where near a master of this sport, or any sport really. I'm not the best, or the brightest or the most interesting. I'm not some amazing person who has it all together.. I'm a type-A personality, multitasking crazy women who has decided to try and do most of the workouts on her schedule, most of the time while still trying to keep the rest of my life in some semblance of order (which may or may not be happening at any particular juncture when you may bump into me :)

As I was trudging up and down the stairs last night to my basement, trying to figure out if I had enough energy to get up and down one more time to take things out of the dryer and I thought "I wonder if everyone else's life is like this while they're trying to master something too!" So, what do you think?? Do you think it takes a 10,000 to master something?? What are you trying to master these days??

Here's some great quotes to get your motivated!

The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a person's determination.
Tommy Lasorda

Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.
Confucius

The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

Do not wait for your ship to come in - swim out to it
Author Unknown

The photo's I've included show just how beautiful my mastering of this sport is at times (aka.. not so much!) but I certainly don't intend to stop trying any time soon.. you can count on that :)

Don't forget - only one more day to enter the Power Bar Giveaway!! See previous blog post to enter!