Love/Hate

Well, it's probably time for an update on the triathlon training. It's been going... OK. Not surprisingly, it's been tough to stick to my (very) aggressive schedule of 5 workouts a week. Combine that with an extremely busy spring with visitors in town nearly every weekend and lots of work travel, and I find myself skipping workouts pretty regularly and worrying that I am am barely going to be able to cross the finish line on June 6th, let alone achieve my goal time.

But. But. When I do get out there for my workouts (at least 3 times a week and often 4 times), I can definitely see that my cardio endurance and overall strength is improving. I'm getting faster at both swimming and biking. And I am successfully avoiding my typical running-related joint problems by only gradually increasing my pace and trying to be diligent about doing my knee strengthening exercises, IT band stretching, and icing afterward.

Of course, in addition to the challenge of finding time to fit the workouts in, I (like 98% of the human race) also struggle with maintaining my motivation. I have a love/hate relationship with exercise. Once I am about 50% through a workout, I love it. And I especially love it when I'm done. I love the rush of endorphins afterward. I love that it makes me feel more confident, calm, and positive about life in general, while also helping me reduce stress and sleep better. I love that a good workout motivates me to eat well for the rest of the day (while skipping a workout has the opposite affect... funny how that works.) I love feeling strong and powerful and vibrant, and (not gonna lie) I love being able to fit into my skinny jeans while still enjoying dessert on a regular basis.

But, I hate the feeling of dread I have at the end of the work day, when I know I still need to cross a 45 minute ride off my list (ahem, today). And I hate waking up at 5:40am several times a week to squeeze in a circuit training class (ahem, tomorrow) or a swim AND a run before work because I know that about 70% of the time that I plan to workout after work, it just doesn't happen. I also hate that sometimes I have to choose between a workout and having a relatively orderly house because there are just not enough hours in the day to do everything, and guess what? After I've put in an hour and a half at the gym and battled traffic home, the laundry just isn't going to get washed, folded, and put away. Let's be honest, doing a limited amount of housework on a work night is a struggle for me even when I haven't spent any time at the gym!

Sigh.

But, this triathlon (although totally a short, beginner race) is something that is more or less on my "bucket list" and I am choosing to keep putting one foot in front of the other (literally and figuratively), so that I can get out there on June 6th, finish the race, and feel good about the fact that I really did give it my best shot. I just need to stay focused for a little more than 6 weeks. (This the part where I emphatically tell myself, "Yes! I can do it!")

I have now sufficiently psyched myself up for my bike ride tonight such that I know I won't come up with a reason to back out. So thank you for listening.