Motivation and Updates

The best way to predict your future is to create it....

While the amount of running I've been doing the past few months for a normal person would be a lot (25-30 mi/week), for me it's been unsatisfying. I love running, every time, but for some reason I still felt unfulfilled, even after my better runs. Yesterday I finally figured it out - I have no big picture goal I'm working towards. I'm running to run, which is fine, but just two months ago I made a LOT of promises to myself about my next Ironman. I also made promises to myself to enjoy life and be social again, but I've been focusing on just that side - and waaaaaay too much. Too much partying, too much drinking, staying up way too late... don't get me wrong, it's been super fun, but I need a balance between my social life and getting better in the off season. While the last few months have been a blast, I need more balance.

I want to be faster. I want to be a more competitive cyclist. I want to be stronger. I want to compete, not just participate.

These are all achievable goals, but I can't start focusing on them come February when my training regimen starts - I need to start now. I've spent the last two months sleeping 10 hours a night, skipping workouts, waking up dehydrated, setting myself up for failure. I need to face reality. I need to build strength and speed in the offseason.

My current Ironman strengths: 

• The swim - while I can shave some minutes, I'm usually towards the top of my age group in the swim
• Pacing - the pace I set at the beginning of each is the pace I keep
• Pacing the marathon - I know how to listen to my body on the run

My weaknesses:

• Cycling 
• Cycling 
• Pushing past an easy pace
• Cycling 
• Cycling 

Ironman Canada for me was just about finishing. I had no idea how it would feel to combine all three disciplines for race distance, and how my body would respond. Now I know. I kind of always knew that I am built well for endurance sports but now I know it. I like to think I'm mentally tough. I know that when I'm thinking defeating thoughts, that I'm better than that and can keep going. Although the thought did not cross my mind once to quit during Ironman, your mind can play some tricks on you during the race. I laugh every time someone asks me if I wanted to quit during the race... why would I dedicate 6 months of my life to QUIT? That was never an option. I think so much of endurance sports is not letting your mind drag you down. Every time I approach a hill on a run or a ride, I don't think about not being able to get to the top. I just focus on each pedal stroke, each stride getting me one step closer. I don't think about quitting, just about how flat it will be at the top. Each moment will pass like the one before, and I will get there. Mindset completely changes outcomes. 

Life updates - been busy! Some recent highlights:

- Went to Bumbershoot - SUCH a great festival, never danced so much in my life. Heard amazing bands and had mostly great weather. Without a doubt my favorite show was The Weeknd. I also loved seeing Zedd, Brand New and Lil Dicky. Atmosphere was great too, although that was the worst weather of the weekend with slant rain!

- I went to San Francisco for Dreamforce which was a whirlwind! I've never gone to a conference with 180,000 people in a tiny section of an already crazy busy city! Had a great time at our Slalom happy hour and networking at tons of parties the whole trip. I got to explore the city on the one run I got in the day we left and it is just gorgeous. I'm definitely going to go back and really explore the city!

-This weekend was our cross-market team's annual retreat at Suncadia!! REBOOT was a BLAST. Every single Slalom event I go to, I connect with more incredible people I work with and am in constant awe of the amazing people I'm surrounded by every day. I feel so honored to be a part of this firm. I don't think any company has more fun together than we do. Too. Much. Fun. I'm still paying for it. 

View from my room

Dinner - and that's the stage I had to dance on to compete for $1000 in front of my company... :)

Love you Whit!

Song of the week - $ave Dat Money - Lil Dicky (this song cracks me up every time I hear it) and when he is wearing the Griffey jersey - that scene is from Bumbershoot and I'm there! :)

My goals shifting forward this next month are to lift more, focus on speed, and actually get back on my bike. I've been avoiding my bike like the plague... time to get back to work.