so....here it is....

I can't do an Ironman.

Before you comment with "Of course you can! Anyone can!" I don't mean I can't as in physically I can't, because OF COURSE I could do that....but with the training behind it.

This is the issue. The time to train for something like that. I don't have enough. Not with my kids little (ages 5 and 2). I want to spend time with them and they need me and it just does not make sense right now. Oprah has the best advice and I tell it to myself every...single...day...You can have it all, you just cannot have it all at the same time.

I have officially put my Ironman goal on a bit of a hold. I was going to enter Ironman Arizona with the attitude of "We will see how the training goes." Not good enough. I know myself and I know I would want to make sure I had the very best day out there possible. This means hours and hours of training. This is just not the time or the year for that. Last summer, training for the half ironman was about perfect. So my focus for the next while will be shorter tris and the half ironman I have entered in Calgary in August.

And Julie: Thanks for your last comment!! What is my bathing suit going to look like....that made me giggle today when a giggle was definitely needed!!!

sssstressss

Is a funny thing, ain't it?
My head has been throbbing for three days now. I have taken more painkillers than I care to admit. These markets have seriously taken a toll on me these last few weeks.
And what do I do when I am stressed?
I EAT!!!
Yep...and I eat chocolate, lots of it.
Ridiculous.
BUT to try to balance things, I DID go for a run today. 20 whole minutes. I am so proud. And my leg did not hurt a bit. I did my stretches before and after and things are looking better! My next physio is next week so hopefully she gives me the a-okay to run longer.
On the job list this weekend is the purchase of a new pair of runners and a bathing suit. Swimming starts Sunday morning bright and early.
And the fun times are starting again!
Thank God.

tommorrow is the day....

....I start training again. I actually even ventured to the Carmichael website last night as I have not even logged in for several weeks. I am going to run for 30 minutes and do my core workout. That is a looong ways from an Ironman!! But here it starts, tomorrow morning...
In other news, I was dropping Matthew off at kindergarten today. I parked in front of the school but there are literally 100 signs in front...no parking, no stopping, 5 minute zone, speed sign, handicapped parking only sign....I get confused. And Matthew has a nasty habit of undoing his seat belt as we are pulling up to the school. So today, again, I scold him that the seat belt should stay done up until we are stopped. I am scolding him and trying to read the signs and figure this all out at the same time...too many things happening at once...so I pull over and get OUT of the car to read the signs as the sun was in my eyes. I did not see a police officer parked and she gets out of her car and walks up to me and (quite rudely) tells me I am in a no stopping spot. I say thanks but I really was just trying to read the sign and figure it all out!! I then had a bright idea that I was going to use this as an opportunity...so I tell Matthew that the officer had seen him take his belt off and we were in lots of trouble.
Remember, he is 5 years old.
He says "Uh....nice try Mom, she was giving you heck for parking in the wrong spot!!"

Bright Lights, Big City

Made it home today from the "big town" with a head full of information and a bit of a hangover. The stress of the last few months all came out last night in downtown Toronto. Headed out with some of the guys from the conference (there are still very few women in the biz, still, so I am constantly around men at these things) We grabbed a cab and asked him to take us somewhere fun. He dropped us off in the center of T.O. and gave us a few directions and off we went. Got a good taste of big city night life as we went into a club and were surrounded by security and patted down and paid our $20 (TWENTY F_ING Dollars!!!) cover charge. But what a show!! Of course we brought the average age up by about 10 years, but holy smokes....it was like being in an episode of CSI before they find the dead body. Boom....boom....boom went the music, funky lights and waterfalls, people dressed to the friggin hilt, actors roaming about in costume, private rooms upstairs...us old folk sat in the corner and laughed and shared stories and jokes and poked fun at a few of the kids. What is with the clothes these days! My guts hurt today from the laughing. We decided to enjoy the beautiful weather and walk back to the Westin...it took us a good hour at an ungodly time through downtown Toronto...niiiice. The good thing is that I got a pic of the stock exchange, mind you it was at around 1:30am but was still a pic. Also a pic of the Toronto branch of AIG...ha ha...for the scrap book...was surprised the lights were still on. Stared up the CN Tour at about 2:00am. Anyway, stumbled into the hotel slept for a bit and flew home today.

SO....my plan for the week is to talk to Justin tomorrow and see what he has in mind for the next few weeks/months. I would be telling the odd person this week about my triathlons and was starting to feel that little tingling inside that comes with setting your sights on a goal...looking forward to getting down to business!!!

Welcome to Fall!!

Can't believe it is October 1 already!!?? Where has this year gone? I can see the riverbank from my office window and it is absolutely gorgeous out there this time of year. And the weather has been fantastic. All is good.

Today was the day I was going to start my official training again. I need a few more days off...gone to Toronto tomorrow and my head is just not in the training mode with all the crap going on at work. Very interesting times we are living in! A fave quote of mine "You do not realize you are making history because you are living it." Someday we will look back, over a few beer and say "Wow, we made it through the fire!" Just like another handful of times in my career.

Anyway, on a more fun note, one of the companies is having a 5km "jog" on Friday morning. Think of me at 6:30am Toronto time (which is about 4:30am sk time) out for a fall run around the waterfront!! Maybe getting out with some others will revitalize me. I hope so!!

Swimming starts up again this week. I am missing the first one which doesn't hurt my feelings much, but actually kind of looking forward to getting back in the pool. Justin says we need to get back into a groove, schedule before the holidays hit. I think that makes sense. And I cannot decide if I want to do Ironman Arizona. Having real trouble making my mind up. I talked to someone the other day that had a friend who did it and apparently the pollution in the water where the swim is held is disgusting....this TOTALLY turned me off!! No swimming is allowed at any other time of the year except for the race, because of the pollution...am I the only one that sees something wrong with this...? If I do it, it will be a very, very fast swim...