Theft

As promised, if a bit delayed, here are the pics of the trail run last weekend.  And yes, as promised, they are blatantly stolen from Jo Lynn.

 Theresa, Jo Lynn, Moi

Gorgeous, no?  And the trail was pretty nice too. Ba dum bah!  Be here all week folks!

In other news, I am beginning to do some bike shopping.  While I have not met my internally set goal for when I would be *allowed* to purchase a tri bike, I have grown impatient.  I'm sure no one here needs reminding that patience is not my strong suit.  But, well, I guess that *was* a reminder.  Anywhoo....my bike guy (Curtis at Revolutions In Fitness) whipped up some measurements for me so I can begin to look for the appropriate tri bike for me.  Sadly, I am "torso challenged".  What I mean to say is that what little height I have is evidently all in my legs.  That may be a good thing... well, not the height.....the choices.  Too many choices can be overwhelming, and this way I can just pick the one that has the colors I like.  (She says *semi* jokingly.)  Now, if you will excuse me, I am off to do some research!

Happy Weekend!

Glorious

With apologies to those in colder locales (hey.....you guys/gals can laugh all the way to the bank when it comes mortgage payment time), it was ridiculously nice here this weekend!  Highs in the low-mid 70s both days.  And as it was a rest week, I took full advantage in just sucking it up.  Took my girl for long hikes out at Garin Park.  In case you've forgotten, Garin looks something like this:

Which results in faces that look like this:

 

Oh, and did I mention that Garin is just a 5 minute drive from my house.  Yes, *very* fortunate indeed. These pics were actually taken last weekend. We've truly struck the jackpot lately in the January weather lottery.

This morning, I met Jo Lynn at her house and we picked up a friend of hers and all set out for the Pacific Coast Trail Run 9k in Pacifica.  Hello, again, gorgeous weather.  JL is coming back from having had foot surgery late last year, and did fan-freaking-tastic. 

It was so much fun hiking our butts up (and up....and up....)the hills, running down the hills, and pretty much non-stop, easy going chatter.  Fulfilled my training instructions to a T:  "Relax, social, enjoyable run".  Relax....check. Social....double check.  Fun.....yes ma'am!  I'll have pics for the run later (after JL posts hers and I steal them....it's okay....she knows....I told her she was the official photographer).  Until then...Happy Trails!

Thank you ma'am, may I have another

Yes, ladies and gents, I have been getting my arse handed to me in my workouts this year.

I made the observation to Coach that "we" seem to be starting off with harder workouts than we did last year.  Less easing into it, shall we say.  Her response....basically ...."Duh." Okay, she wasn't quite so blunt, but I got the point.  Of course we're starting out with harder stuff.  I now have a couple of years with her under my belt so I get to start at square two instead of square one.  I shudder to think what square three might look like.

I'm trying to not get discouraged, especially with the bike workouts which have always been my nemesis.  I know, in my head, that the workouts are supposed to be difficult and I'm not meant to nail all of them.  But once in a while would be nice.  Of course there was the Saturday ride to which I commented, "Hmm, that seemed too easy." Just a little piece of advice from me to you.....NEVER say that to your coach.  If you do...be prepared for some suffering.  You've just thrown down the gauntlet.

On the other hand, I'm not paying a coach to hand me workouts I can sleep swim/bike/run through.  I am paying someone to kick me in the butt and challenge me.  So what am I saying?  I guess I'm telling myself to quit whining, HTFU, and learn to love the burn.  Okay, maybe love is too strong.  Appreciate may be more appropriate.

A few more tough ones this week and next week is a step back week.  With a trail run on the schedule.  So I pinged my trail run buddy, JoLynn to see if she'd be available to run with me.  With "Fun, Social, Enjoyable" on the schedule, it was a no brainer. Unfortunately she is signed up for a 9k trail run that day with another friend of hers.  Fortunately for me, the friend doesn't mind if I make myself the third wheel, and coach said okey-dokey.  9k worth of fun....yes, please, sign me up.  Hopefully we'll get some nice weather for a run in the hills!

Who Am I?

(And Dear Readers...both of you....don't get your hopes up...this blogging thing may fade away again quickly.)

There have been several 'things' going on lately that have me thinking about that question.  "Who Am I?"  If I was stripped of all the things that I've used to define myself, what would be left?  Am I more than a sum of the parts?  Would I still be me without my job?  Without triathlon/training?  Without my family, my hubby, my dog?  What makes me..me? 

Sorry....if you were waiting for an answer to any of those questions, you're not going to find it here.  Just food for contemplation.

On a more mundane level, I'm back at work and things are as, let's just say, interesting as they've been the last year or so.  As you may or may not know, I had a job offer towards the end of last year.  Pretty much the same line of work, just a different take on it, with another small company.  It sounded interesting, at least more interesting than what I'm currently engaged in.  But I decided to stay put for the time being.  When everything was laid on a scale, the negatives where I'm at didn't outweigh the benefits.  And the benefits at the new place didn't weigh heavily enough to sway me.  On some level now though, I think I've traded away my brain for comfort.  I get to work at home two days a week where I'm at.  I have a *very* flexible schedule.  I'm coming up on five years at this place, which means I will start getting an extra week of vacation a year.  An extra WEEK!  And really....my work is just a means of getting from vacation to vacation.  Oh, and to pay for new toys.  Well, yes, and the bills too.  No, wait...that's what Jeff's job is for. 

But back to the job thing.  I really feel like I'm stagnating.  And although the company is at an exciting time, entering our Phase III trial (last step prior to an attempt at FDA approval), I don't have a lot of mentoring here.  Scratch that, there's *no* mentoring.  Because we're so small that I'm basically a department of one.  I think I've finally, FINALLY, realized that now that I've made the commitment to stay until 'something happens' (whether that be a buy out, FDA approval, whatever), I'm going to have to engage my brain on my own.  Develop some new skills, get back in the practice of attending conferences.  Because it would be all too easy to sit back, futz around, and wait.  I know it would, I've been doing it for the last several months.  I'm not saying I don't do my job.  Of course I do.  But I do it in a detached manner.  There's not a lot of investment there.  Which, for me, leads to some serious discontent.  You may not have noticed, but I tend to throw myself into things wholeheartedly.  So for the new year, I'm making a commitment to my brain.  Not a resolution so much as a gift to myself.  Here's hoping it's the gift that keeps on giving.

Happy New Year.