Triatha-Mom

Triatha-Mom

I am doing it! I can't believe I am doing it!! But I am really doing it. Every Saturday when I Swim/Bike/Run, I try to envision how fun it will be to cross that finish line. I don't know if I have ever crossed a finish line in my lifetime. Does finishing marching in a parade in Marching Band count?

I still feel SO incredibly out of shape to do a thing like this, but I have a feeling-- at this particular event -- I won't be the only one feeling that way. Already I am thankful for my friends who have pushed me to do this. And I am incredibly thankful for my wonderful husband who had a good talk with me about doing it and how he inspired me to continue in a way that only he can.

A crazy thing happened when I was training yesterday.... I did my swim and bike like normal. After last week, I had decided that I was going to discontinue running and just speed walk the run portion of the race. Well, I started my 35 minute speed walk on the treadmill intending to walk the whole time. Then, as I had increased my speed to 4.0 mph, it happened. I. WANTED. TO. RUN................. I didn't run for long or very fast, but I ran... not because the timer told me to, not because the training schedule said I needed to do so much running. But because I WANTED to. I don't know how much total time I ran (it wasn't much), but I am going to continue to train that way... run when I feel good and when I want to. Who knows? Maybe I'll be able to run (and I mean run) that 5k someday after all.

My New Year's Resolutions (in case you were curious)

Resolution #1:
I am not going to use the credit cards anymore.  It's cash or debit from here on out.  I do love my points I get from my Amazon.com card, but I don't really control my spending too well when I use it; so I am giving it up.

Resolution #2:
I will exercise 30 minutes each day six days a week.  (As of Jan. 4 in the AM, this has not happened once)  Maybe it will happen today!  Who knows!

Resolution #3:
I am giving up my diet Pepsi (and diet Coke).  I have just been pondering my usage of the substance during the last couple months.  I have decided it can't be very good for you... I mean just look at the color.  Does it look good for you?

Resolution #4:
I will get up at 6 AM every day but Saturday.  I need time to do some of those important things I find myself not having time to do (i.e. showering, praying, studying scriptures, maybe even getting that 30 minutes of exercise in?).  This one is also not happening, but I figure it is going to be a gradual process.  I am going to work up to it and say that by June I should probably be getting up at 6 AM.

What do you think?

Triathlete?

I swam 20 laps tonight at the gym in about an hour. That's a whopping 500 meters or 0.277777778 miles!!! I am so proud of me. And it was nice because the kids got to go to the gym to (and get out of the house for once this winter) and play in the playroom. Everyone wins!

I really would like to start training for a triathlon to take place this summer. My brother thinks I am crazy, but we have already established that I am; so let's not beat the dead horse, shall we? I have "wanted" to do a triathlon for several years now, but between babies, moving (yes, I know that was 2 years ago) and my aforementioned craziness, I have not done it. I just think it would be so cool to say, "I am a triathlete" or "I have done a triathlon."

I believe this could be one of my life goals. Some day I need to write down all such goals; I have a bunch of them.

So anyways, I really enjoy swimming and biking. I hate running, so that will be the last part I train for. But the benefits are great. There's this chick at the gym who does triathlons. She's gorgeous; granted, she is Brazilian, so she has that in her favor. But I was talking to her one day and she was like, "I know I am crazy, but I really want to do an Ironman someday." AN IRONMAN??? Those are like impossibly long triathlons. She's my idol currently.

On a side note, there is this adorable young man who I would love to set one of my gals up with. Send me a note if you're interested. Here is what little I know about him (I haven't gotten his name yet): He looks to be about 21 or 22, I run into him often while swimming, he has done some triathlons, he's completely bald but it fits him (think of the bald guys you see on the Olympic swim team), he is in the Air Force ROTC at BYU and graduates next year (I think), and he really wants to go to Afghanistan when he graduates. Doesn't he sound dreamy? Brittany, I'll have to get a height check on him, he may be a keeper. One thing I don't know about him is if he is married or not... it hasn't come up in the conversations we have had (they've mostly been about swimming and triathons); however, I haven't noticed a ring.

Random thoughts and counting blessings

I am much happier today (and in general the past few days) than I was the other day when I unfortunately posted my woes for all to see. But you know, I have never been the kind of person who can keep up a perfect facade (not sure where the squiggly thingy goes on that word). I can't keep a perfect blog with videos, photos and daily updates... well maybe I could but it's not that important to me so I won't. So folks even though you're probably not expecting perfection from me, I expect it from myself. However, on this blog I will be posting what I am. But probably a whole lot of what I hope to become.

OK so that was totally random and not what I intended to post at all.

So on to the blessings...

I posted on FB that I am happy today for many reasons. Here are some of them: Dean doesn't have to work on Christmas or Christmas Eve. That makes me really happy because I was afraid with this new job that EVERYTHING would suck. Actually, as far as all that goes I am actually doing pretty well. Last night, not only did the kids get fed, but they were in bed by 8:30 PM. Let's face it, that almost NEVER happened when Dean was home every night. Not that it was his fault... it wasn't; but I guess we just always waited around for the other to initiate the bedtime process. Not that I like initiating, but let me tell you... I AM MOTIVATED when I am by myself with them. Also, I got them to bed without once yelling at them. So I am also happy because the past couple days I am feeling like a halfway decent mother. Though we could use some clean dishes at the moment.

I was going to write more about what I am happy about, but it's 12:45 PM and I need to get my babies lunch made. Suffice it to say LIFE IS GOOD (even though it's not perfect).

I may be learning!

This morning was heaven! I got up, got on my gym clothes, got Michael up, dressed, and off to school, got the little ones dressed and took them to my friends house!!! Then I went to the gym by myself and WalMart by myself and didn't even lose any precious time with my husband. Usually, when I go to the store by myself it is because he is watching them. For some reason, it has taken me nearly 7 years to realize how important good friends are, especially when you are a mother of young children. By the way, I'll be taking her kids on Friday, and we will be doing this for the unforeseeable future. We're each going to have a kid-free morning each week. It will be FABULOUS!

So maybe I can keep my sanity through these next several years. And I am sure my friends and I will adapt to our changing situations, because we'll need friends after our children are not so young, right?