It's true, Christmas can feel like a lot of work, particularly for mothers. But when you look back on all the Christmases in your life, you'll find you've created family traditions and lasting memories. Those memories, good and bad, are really what help keep a family together over the long haul. -- Caroline Kennedy
You know your family has a problem when your Christmas card has a bunch of triathlon pictures on it. :) I was going back through the year, looking at the times our family spent together, and races were definitely prevalent. So I put some on our card. I was worried that it would look goofy, but IronSherpa said it looked good, so out it went. I guess it shouldn't matter - our family and friends already know what nuts we are!
This year we are making some traditions and memories around the holidays, involving races, naturally. On Thanksgiving, IronSherpa and I ran the same Turkey Trot 10K we ran last year. I was slower, but still - it was a good event. Then the entire family ran the Toys for Tots 5K. I ran it last year with the Youngest, but this year we all ran. Everyone set a PR except me - and IronSherpa and Oldest both got awards for placing in their age groups. It was really pretty awesome and a tradition I'd like to continue. Finally, last year I ran the First Day 5K on New Years Day...and this year IronSherpa and Youngest will be running it with me. Eldest is going to volunteer. The family that races together creates traditions and memories and stays together. :)
Monday, December 22, 2014
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Little Glimpses and Baby Steps and A Christmas Carol
Life is a series of baby steps along the way and if you add up these tiny little steps you take toward your goal, whatever it is, whether it's giving up something a terrible addiction or trying to work your way through an illness. When you total up those baby steps you'd be amazed over the course of 10 years, the strides you've taken. -- Hoda Kotb
Occasionally I am starting to see little glimpses of what I had before I got hurt this year. This week I ran 3 miles without any walk breaks. And I ran 7.5 miles at a 9:1 ratio of run:walk. And both were good. Not fast. Not as fast as I have been and not even fast, period. But my foot didn't hurt. And both outings made me feel as though I am going to get back there. Someday.
(BTW - I kind of love Gonzo...this is my 2nd favorite all-time Muppet song.)
I'm also starting to see tiny glimpses of things good things to come. (Yeah, I realize I'm starting to sound like A Christmas Carol . . . the ghost of Christmas Past, the ghost of Christmas Present...it's that time of year.) I have moved up a lane in swimming - LANE 3! OMG. I can't keep up completely - especially when we are doing pull sets, but I'm getting there and it's exciting. I was getting comfortable (and occasionally frustrated) in my old lane. I'm not comfortable in my new lane, but I feel like it will be good for me. It's time to take my swimming a baby step further.
And to wrap up the trilogy...the ghost of Christmas Long Ago...it is hard to get to this time of year without remembering where I was 9 years ago. My baby was almost one. I was out of shape, a lot heavier and fatter than I am now, and I didn't have any sort of ambition with respect to my health and fitness. It's hard to even remember what that felt like, especially now where my whole family's world revolves around sports, racing, and other healthy activities. Even though I've lost some of the fitness I have recently had and gained some pounds I'd rather have kept lost, the quote above is spot on...it's amazing how many years of baby steps can take you to someplace you never dreamed of being. It's been a long hike, full of tiny steps forwards and back, but I can't wait to see what is coming up ahead.
I'll leave you with one of my favorite Christmas carols (without the ghosts, of course)...
Occasionally I am starting to see little glimpses of what I had before I got hurt this year. This week I ran 3 miles without any walk breaks. And I ran 7.5 miles at a 9:1 ratio of run:walk. And both were good. Not fast. Not as fast as I have been and not even fast, period. But my foot didn't hurt. And both outings made me feel as though I am going to get back there. Someday.
(BTW - I kind of love Gonzo...this is my 2nd favorite all-time Muppet song.)
I'm also starting to see tiny glimpses of things good things to come. (Yeah, I realize I'm starting to sound like A Christmas Carol . . . the ghost of Christmas Past, the ghost of Christmas Present...it's that time of year.) I have moved up a lane in swimming - LANE 3! OMG. I can't keep up completely - especially when we are doing pull sets, but I'm getting there and it's exciting. I was getting comfortable (and occasionally frustrated) in my old lane. I'm not comfortable in my new lane, but I feel like it will be good for me. It's time to take my swimming a baby step further.
And to wrap up the trilogy...the ghost of Christmas Long Ago...it is hard to get to this time of year without remembering where I was 9 years ago. My baby was almost one. I was out of shape, a lot heavier and fatter than I am now, and I didn't have any sort of ambition with respect to my health and fitness. It's hard to even remember what that felt like, especially now where my whole family's world revolves around sports, racing, and other healthy activities. Even though I've lost some of the fitness I have recently had and gained some pounds I'd rather have kept lost, the quote above is spot on...it's amazing how many years of baby steps can take you to someplace you never dreamed of being. It's been a long hike, full of tiny steps forwards and back, but I can't wait to see what is coming up ahead.
I'll leave you with one of my favorite Christmas carols (without the ghosts, of course)...
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Keeping It All Together
Every time you tear a leaf off a calendar, you present a new place for new ideas and progress. -- Charles Kettering
Balancing family and work is a top priority for me, and I treat it as such. Meaning, I actually put specific family time and events in my calendar so that precious time is dedicated and properly blocked off from any work that may try to sneak its way into my schedule. -- Biz Stone
Lately I've been a bit overwhelmed with work activities - the end of the semester is always a busy time and I've let it sneak up on me this year. I think it's especially worse given my persistent injury funk...but I'm working on it. In fact, I ran my first race since the DNF...a 10K Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. I was about 5 minutes slower than my time at the same race last year, and that bothered me a little bit, but I've settled into a peaceful acceptance that I'm on the comeback trail. I should be thrilled that 1) I ran 2) pain-free 3) over the whole distance (9 run:1 walk) and 4) am only 5 minutes slower, even though I'm XX pounds heavier. (My post-injury weight gain is another post altogether.)
Anyway, back to being crushed by real life...I have plans to get myself dug out by the end of the year, so I can start 2015 on a fresh page. And that's critical. With IronSherpa and I both training for an IM race next year, keeping it all together -- family, work, training -- is going to be a serious exercise in logistics. Like UPS couldn't even keep up.
This isn't an advertisement for UPS - like I said, they couldn't keep up with the Iron Family's life...but I do want to give a shout out to a company that I hope is going to be a huge help as I plan and execute a successful 2015 - family-wise/work-wise/and race-wise.
This company makes a product known as the Passion Planner - check it out here.
They're currently wrapping up a Kickstarter campaign...and they've been very successful - which doesn't surprise me, because this is exactly the type of "keep it all together" that I've been looking for. Goal setting, motivation, personal & professional to-do lists, etc....all in one place. I think I'm in love. IronSherpa and I keep a shared web calendar for appointments, but I need something in addition to that. And this is what I plan to use for 2015.
(PS - I don't usually give shout outs to companies, unless I'm totally in love with their products. I'm not a professional blogger & I have no affiliation with Passion Planner. Even though I've only used a few sample pages from their website, I'm just telling you my plans...kind of like I usually do.)
Balancing family and work is a top priority for me, and I treat it as such. Meaning, I actually put specific family time and events in my calendar so that precious time is dedicated and properly blocked off from any work that may try to sneak its way into my schedule. -- Biz Stone
Lately I've been a bit overwhelmed with work activities - the end of the semester is always a busy time and I've let it sneak up on me this year. I think it's especially worse given my persistent injury funk...but I'm working on it. In fact, I ran my first race since the DNF...a 10K Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. I was about 5 minutes slower than my time at the same race last year, and that bothered me a little bit, but I've settled into a peaceful acceptance that I'm on the comeback trail. I should be thrilled that 1) I ran 2) pain-free 3) over the whole distance (9 run:1 walk) and 4) am only 5 minutes slower, even though I'm XX pounds heavier. (My post-injury weight gain is another post altogether.)
Anyway, back to being crushed by real life...I have plans to get myself dug out by the end of the year, so I can start 2015 on a fresh page. And that's critical. With IronSherpa and I both training for an IM race next year, keeping it all together -- family, work, training -- is going to be a serious exercise in logistics. Like UPS couldn't even keep up.
 |
| Photo - Fortune.com; Trademarks - UPS |
This company makes a product known as the Passion Planner - check it out here.
They're currently wrapping up a Kickstarter campaign...and they've been very successful - which doesn't surprise me, because this is exactly the type of "keep it all together" that I've been looking for. Goal setting, motivation, personal & professional to-do lists, etc....all in one place. I think I'm in love. IronSherpa and I keep a shared web calendar for appointments, but I need something in addition to that. And this is what I plan to use for 2015.
(PS - I don't usually give shout outs to companies, unless I'm totally in love with their products. I'm not a professional blogger & I have no affiliation with Passion Planner. Even though I've only used a few sample pages from their website, I'm just telling you my plans...kind of like I usually do.)
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