Perseverance and determination and a little more perseverance!

I always have a hard time working out in the evenings. There is something about having the kids and hubby home that make me want to stay home too. I hate taking showers at night and having to dry my hair just so that it is messed up in the morning…seems like such a waste of time.

Yesterday I was scheduled for a LONG swim. I decided to sleep in, 7am WOOT, which meant that I had to wait until at least 10:30 to get in the pool. Then I ate breakfast and “needed” to wait for it to digest so I watched a show on DVR. Now it’s almost noon and the rain has started, wait is that thunder I hear?!? SO I am watching more shows on DVR to pass the time, YAWN. Maybe I need a nap, gotta listen to my body, right? 2:00 rolls around and I don’t have time for the 4000 yard swim so I should just wait until tonight when the boys are out to dinner with dad.

I sent an email to my crew letting them know that I would be swimming this evening if they wanted to join me, NO TAKERS! So I had to find the internal motivation to do it alone. Mind you, I had been wearing my bathing suit ALL day in preparation for this workout. When the boys walked out, I walked out too. Off to the pool.

The Plan: 4000

4x200 (1FR/1Pull) R: 15s

16x25 (1Dr/1Fr) on :60s

500 FR

12x50 (Alt FR/Pull) R:10s

6x100 (Alt FR/Pull) R:15s

3x200 FR R:20s

6x100 (50K50CH) R:10s Easy pace

It took all I had to get there. All I had to get in. All I had to stay. After 2300 meters, the lifeguards decided it was time to change the lanes to yards…I could have quit but I didn’t. After nearly 2 hours, I completed my planned 4000 swim and rushed home to see how many “extra” yards I swam. Converted the meters to yards and to my dismay, only 300 extra yards. All said and done, I swam 2.44 miles last night. All it took was perseverance and determination!

Less than 30 days to IMTX, I’m ready!

This house is getting busy!

39 days to Ironman Texas. The training is long, the recovery is longer. Finding balance between fitness, recovery, and food is difficult. Mood swings have become a weekly occurrence. I write all of this to remind myself… if there is a next time I sign up for a full ironman. It’s all fun and games until 6-8 weeks from the race. I’ve reached my fill of selfishness with regard to my training schedule’s effect on my family time. On my long ride this weekend, I was reminded "why" I do this. I love enjoying nature and breathing God's fresh air. When I ride, I don't have things I "have to" do. On the opposite side of the coin, I swam with a friend at a local lake this weekend. I had a hard time thinking of the "why." The water was cold and the wind was blowing....after the workout I has happy with the outcome...progress was made.

Enjoying the wildflowers at mile 60 this weekend.

On the home front, we have been confronted with another setback. Just 5 months after moving, we were faced with a rodent problem, rats that had to be dealt with immediately. Now at 7 months we noticed a swarm of termites coming from a brick column in the back yard. This is the same brick column that was driving the dog NUTS, that we mentioned to the pest control man. We figured it was the rats moving from the house through the breezeway to the garage. Not so luckyL Turns out, we have termites in the column and have subsequently found them along one of the walls of the house that had cottage-like vines growing on it.  Today, as I write this blog, I am listening to the drill that will place chemical along the house. Sometimes I wonder why we bother with home ownership!

We have a busy weekend coming up. The four of us will complete our 2^nd Bluebell Fun Run 5k. As we run the hills of Brenham, it will all be worth the challenge when we sit at the finish line eating “all you can eat” Bluebell Ice CreamJ Next up will be Thomas’ 2^nd triathlon at the Houston Kids Triathlon. He has started to get anxious about the exciting weekend ahead. I can’t seem to figure out where he gets this competitive spirit!?!

Last year at the Houston Kid's Triathlon with cousins!

Last year at the BlueBell Fun Run