Disclaimer: These are the unfiltered ramblings of a father re-tracing the steps of his youth to conquer another full Ironman triathlon a decade after his first.
Life has been exciting these past few weeks! As a personal opportunity became available, our family has been in the process preparing for a relocation. It’s amazing how something like this can completely disrupt a well-laid routine. As the task list surges (especially around the holidays), it’s easy to stay up late crossing off the To-Do’s. Thanksgiving was filled with family as we hosted this year, and were shuttling guests to and from the airport. Amidst the chaos, I lost sight of my activity goals and more importantly my fundamental routine goal.
It’s easy to make an exception one day, especially when you’ve started to get onto a roll, but you can only ride that momentum so long. Last night after tossing and turning, feeling guilty about the extra snack I had and caving to watching a show at the end of a long day instead of getting a ride in, I looked at my watch which read 11:51pm. I had 9 minutes to start a workout that would technically count for Tuesday, so I jumped out of bed and got the trainer out. Hopping on, I did a leisurely hour ride for 13 miles. The plan was, even though I was going to bed at 1AM, I was going to get up around 5:30am and start my Wednesday off with a morning ride to re-set my week. I was committed to that goal too, but instead of waking up to an alarm, I woke up to my little one who decided to get up early and was HUNGRY!! When the boss screams, you listen, so I started the day taking a turn with my baby girl. When my wife did get up, I was barely hanging on, so I went back to bed for a quick extra nap before he day. Even though I didn’t get the morning ride in, I’m committed to a night spin before bed, and will re-affirm with a morning ride tomorrow.
It’s tough Work jump-starting a routine after a little bump, but this is the perfect time to take the opportunity and double down. I want to enjoy the holiday festivities and good food, but have to actively plan not to over-indulge. Talking to my partner before family gatherings helps me keep in the forefront of my mind my intent to eat slow and savor my food, and to be mindful of the calories I work so hard to burn.
Since I took a break with all of the chaos, I have not signed up yet for the Wisconsin Ironman, but there are still spots available. For $750 I’m still debating if I want to invest in this race, or if I should find a spot and plot out the distances and complete my own race with some friends. There is a lot to be said about having the support and the atmosphere, but $750 is a nice chunk of college savings. I’m still mulling it over. If you have thoughts for what I should do, or if you’d like to race with me in 2018, let me know your thoughts or race schedule!
PS, If your looking for a holiday gift for me, I saw the jersey pictured above at Erik’s Bike Shop in Rochester, MN... Just mentioning...Size Large...