Thursday, April 9, 2015

Back to Blogging... Just a Random Update

I sort of miss blogging. I do it so rarely now it feels like I should have something really big and important to say... or some big event to write about... I don't really have either of those here today so I'm just going to babble randomly sort of like I used to do a lot.

My mom told me the other day that she went back and read my blogs from when Moana was a little baby and how fun it was to read all about that stuff. The little things maybe don't seem "blog-worthy" but in reality they're probably the type of stuff that makes the blog worthwhile to look back on, and made me think I should document more just so it's out there in case Moana ever wants to read it when she gets older.

Anyway, it's Thursday, which most weeks means an easy training day and a day where I'm home mostly in front of my computer checking in with athletes and coming up with programming for the following week(s). Marilyn and I have come up with a good schedule and I'm really starting to like the rhythm of my weeks... We've figured out how to balance a decent amount of training while still allowing me enough time to get all my work done and be the wife/mom I want to be. Sometimes I get tired of course but overall I'd say my 'balance' this year is better than it has been in years past.

One thing that's been different this year is that (Knock on wood! Should I even say this out loud?!) I have not had an injury. I can't remember the last time I got through the winter/early spring without an injury? It's been a really long time. To be honest, I think I can say with certainty that staying healthy is not a fluke this time around. I've prioritized a bunch of things that I used to let slide. Now that I am in my 40's I'm smart enough to not let that stuff slide! :) In a nutshell though, I think the heavy lifting I did from Dec-Mar played a big role in this. I've changed my run form a bit (using higher cadence now) which I think also helps. And, I work on mobility every day like it's my job. The mobility stuff has just become a habit and since I can tell such a huge difference in how I feel if I happen to miss it, I'm motivated to not miss it.

So overall I'd say training has gone pretty well. Seems like I have good days and bad days. My bad days are pretty predictable each month and the #HormoneNerd does a great job of explaining all that. It's funny b/c I know its coming every month and yet every month I get so frustrated and have thoughts like "I'm too old for this shit" or "I've lost it I'm just not strong anymore" and I contemplate my retirement from triathlon and think maybe I should just start lifting weights full time... And then a few days pass and I go out and actually ride my bike in a way that reminds me that I do actually know how to ride a bike and it's all good (for the next ~25 days).

I'm experimenting with things now and trying hard to reduce my overall stress levels in the back half of each month to see if that helps at all. Just started on daily magnesium too b/c I've heard from reliable sources that it could help. So we'll see!?

In good news, coaching is going really well and #TeamBSC is growing/thriving! I feel like Krista and I are doing a really good job working together. Our athletes are happy and getting all the attention they want/need. Every year I feel like I'm able to build on what I've known/done in the past so I feel like I just keep getting better and better at this coaching thing. I really couldn't be happier in this regard. A few of our new athletes who've recently come on board have expressed that they are thrilled with the detail and instruction we provide (a lot through our private team FB page) and that is confidence building as well... To know that we are providing the value we want to provide... It feels good and is a win-win all around for everyone. I've got two athletes from Kansas coming into town next weekend to train in person with me for 4 days- really looking forward to that!

In case you're interested, my chickens are all still alive and well... They lay eggs for us every day, though if they saw what we did with them last week they might go on strike...

The wild ones tend to hide their eggs in my neighbors yard, so I have to go searching, and by the time I find their nest under some bush there will be like 12-16 eggs in it. And then once they realize I found their nest, they go find a new hiding place. Silly chickens. My other 3 girls are easy and lay their eggs in the same spot each day so they're easy for me to find and collect. I don't see Peepers on the street anymore. Not sure if after he went through puberty that he just doesn't need me anymore and is back in the woods living out his life with a group of wild hens (my hope!), or if he's not alive anymore? I still stop on the side of the road up there sometimes though and throw out some chicken food. Last night when I did that, 30-40 chickens came out of the woods. So there are a ton of them still out there. I'm not tempted to bring any of them home though. I'm happy with my little flock of 5.

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