Karma and Kismet

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In The Mood

Sometimes you're just in the mood to write. Today's that day. I've recently come upon a couple recurrent injuries and a new one caused by one of the old ones. Not entertaining. Still working out, but I can now run! Nailed the prescribed run two days in a row!!! This is huge. Swimming was better because I can kick but now I can't turn my head! Have to laugh. And find the common demoninator. This search brought me to my new road.

My right side is weaker at baseline. Not news. It's also longer. Makes sense. The past 2-3 years have made it much worse, though; enough that it has to be addressed. Now it's time for rebuilding for real, from the ground up. More and better strength program, focused running, consistent cycling, and a little bit of swimming for now. Stretching? Check. Core? Check.

I've missed blogging about me and training. The last thing I want to focus on is problems, so here's to solutions. And here's to the Iron Warrior on the inside. She's still here :)

Days to Weeks to Months

We live in deeds, not years; in thoughts, not breaths; in feelings, not figures on a dial. ~ Philip James Bailey

Today our little man turns one month old. As any doctor knows, the first 28 days of life are tense ones. If your baby gets sick, they can get VERY sick. We were happy to make it out of that window! Those 28 days, or 4 weeks, were tense ones for us. Now, though, on this Independence Day, we can start counting in months! Matty, with his nutty expressions, is raring to go. 

As far as my journey, I've had some interesting revelations. I rode my bike for the first time at 4 weeks post c-section. Oddly, it hurt my incision and the area less than walking. So, I'll keep progressing, albeit slowly to avoid any undue stress on healing tissue. Another thing, when I rode, I didn't care that I was slow. I may never care again that my speed on the bike is less than this person or that person, or this time goal. I may never care again that my run pace doesn't allow me to stand on a podium. Or, like my coach tells me, I may throw out all of my preconceived notions regarding what I think I am capable of, and just train. 

Being consistent with workouts, getting as much rest as I can, and eating well - those are the keys to creating the life, body and home I want. And this month has been such a beautiful one. So much of my dream is already there. I can't wait to keep building. Today, tomorrow, next month...

Time is a created thing. To say "I don't have time" is to say "I don't want to." ~ Lao Tzu

Worth the Rent

Pregnancy is the only time in a woman’s life she can help God work a miracle. ~ Erma Bombeck

I wasn't sure how I'd react to having a child. He's a part of us, but more than us. Now, I know. I'm floored. Every last pound we carried (well, Matthew didn't carry much on his little 8 pound frame!) was worth it. And we will journey on our way to each of us creating our healthy bodies!

On day 2, he was already looking around, impatiently wanting to participate in this new life he has - as were we. Although I have to be smart about my recovery from the c-section, he goes ahead, no holds barred, ready to grow, and grow, and grow.

Although parenthood is certainly an adjustment, this incredible little boy is worth every moment. He's been healthy, happy (except for those moments of zero-to-hangry in 30 seconds!) and wonderful.

As I watch my behavior, certain things come to light. Firstly, I don't want to do some of the things I used to do - eat poorly, speak harshly, or have a short fuse. They have lost their appeal. As much influence as I know I will have on this little boy's life, he already has an amazing hold on mine. 

Here's to being a better person, and a better mom, every little bit at a time. 

Each child is an adventure into a better life, an opportunity to change the old pattern and make it new. ~ Hubert H. Humphrey

Venting on Renting

My body is for rent for 40 weeks. And when that lease is up, I will get it back because I want to. Not because it will be easy or because I expect it but because I WILL WANT IT BACK that bad. ~ Elizabeth Waterstraat

These words resonate. I'm not talking a lean, fit body. I'm simply saying my OWN body. As in, a cute little boy on the outside, maybe even on daddy's knee, rather than on mommy's bladder. We can't wait to meet Matty. Good thing is that now we don't have to. He's 2 weeks from his scheduled cannonball into the world - staying breech, dancing a jig on various pelvic organs...

I'd abandoned this blog because I started a "real" wordpress blog on my own homepage. That had gone by the wayside as well. Business got busy, life got hectic. But, I want to write. I need to write. My stuff, not just TriTactics triathlon and nutrition tidbits. Posts create themselves in my head, but I don't make the time to put them to "paper". Therefore, here I am. Elizabeth Waterstraat's blog has inspired me to do a few things, not the least of which is to just hang it out there. Hopefully some of my roller coaster will help another, as her words helped me. I have so much to be grateful for, from my ability to be a doctor, to our upcoming family addition.

My last post here was New Year's Day 2012. Last year was a year of ups (getting pregnant in January) and downs (getting un-pregnant in March), and ups (Ironman Texas in May), and more ups (getting pregnant again in September). This year, the ups continued (opening a new business, my cortisol level, my "baby" weight). I did a Whole30 in April - LOVED that, and finally got my nausea under control. Then, there are things that happen and I have no idea if they're ups or downs. The first of which was realizing that the new business we started with 4 other partners, wasn't being run to its potential and it would be better served under new ownership and especially new management. This came to fruition in April, and the development? Definitely UP. I went from working two full time jobs to 1.5 in April, and then in May, back to one job (!!!! holy free time - to sleep, I AM pregnant, after all), and the business, which we stay involved with, is much more streamlined.

Then, this past weekend, The Woodlands was again host to Ironman Texas. Mostly an "up" - getting to see friends like Hailey, Jozsef & Lucy, and to watch our athletes KICK BUTT on the course! Sort of a "down". It was so very hard to not race - worse because I am not doing anything. This is partly because I am not motivated enough after the workload earlier, and partly because I have had a lot of pelvic dysfunction since week 10 or so due to "pregnasty" (thanks Meghan!) hormones. I feel like I have shin splints in the front of my pelvis every time I step. I can feel my SI joints open up in the back. I get tired of hurting, so my activity level is nil. Lifting requires pelvic stabilization - not happening. Swimming feels really crappy - before you suggest it ;-) So, at this point, 2 weeks out, I am crawling out of my skin. Ok, so the boy is too! He's fidgety. Reminds me of someone I know... But now the "up": Ironman weekend came with such mixed emotions that I was shown something invaluable. Somewhere along the line I became an athlete. I crossed a finish line, and there's no going back. I tried. I ate out of stress (with the business), cravings (can you say 14 weeks of grilled cheese???), and then because I was bummed - after running the Disney Half Marathon in January, I stopped running because the pain got too bad. I miss running. I miss my bike. I miss my toes!

So, as one of our athletes, Richard, said this weekend, I drew some lines in the sand. I committed to a few races, some larger than others. Because I can't wait to give Matty a good example, and let him see the real me! There's so much fun to be had!!! And, as my dad said "hey, the break doesn't last forever."

Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose. ~ Lyndon B. Johnson

Confessions of a Midnight Runner

Your present circumstances don't determine where you go; they merely determine where you start. ~ Nido Qubein

Perhaps this post should be entitled "confessions of a midnight writer". "Today" is January 1st, 2012. Technically after midnight, but I was on a night shift last night, so to me, it's still the day. THE DAY. The day of new beginnings, that just happen to be better than any other beginning I've had. I ran 18 miles today. Sunday always seems like a good day to do a long run, however I usually have trouble after coming off night shifts. But today, I slept a lot, woke up rested, and ran. Stopped in the middle for fueling and social time :-) but otherwise had a not-so-fast long run. My legs ached around mile 15, but it subsided with fueling, and I finished up fine. I wore a lot of lighted gear, with new batteries, and wasn't afraid a bit, even though 14 miles was in the dark. I am quite happy with the decision to run today, and the run itself. 

This blog isn't so much of an inspiration for others, but more of an outlet and perhaps to inspire myself. To write. To throw words out there. I don't know, maybe someone will catch it and say "wow, that's just what I needed to get off the couch" or the ledge, or some such thing. 

Here is to an amazing day, and an amazing start to 2012!

Quiet Strength

Much like how I am on Twitter, this blog isn't advertised much. It's hidden. It was born of a need to express some feelings, to build strength toward this Ironman in a few short weeks. This weekend is the Galveston 70.3 (half iron distance), which will be a practice for fueling and pacing for Ironman. It'll be really fun. Last year it was a great race and things are infinitely better this year!!! Oh, I am feeling a bit "carby" these days, though, so it's taking some dietary restructuring to clean myself up a bit.

Thanks for sharing my journey. May I help you along yours as well :-)


The journey between what you once were and who you are now becoming is where the dance of life really takes place. ~ Barbara DeAngelis