It's early. There is still a dark blue sky outside as I sit here with my morning jolt. Getting in my science fix: a new study was released stating that morning coffee does not affect performance of those who regularly drink a morning cup of coffee. It simply serves to get the body out of caffeine withdrawal. They needed a study to tell coffee drinkers, that we NEED coffee to swim /bike/ run...
In the same way caffeine gets my system back to its normal self, my training also has moments of necessary reset & refuel. Sometimes my runners mindset needs it, sometimes the triathlete I'm aspiring to be needs it, & most times all systems are intertwined & crisscrossed so tightly I become overwhelmed in my attempts to properly sort out the mess myself. With injury comes self doubt. With a bad race comes a lot of questions, and a training plan full of X's and scribble. Tell a runner not to run, and they will be the first out the door. Staying in place is a lot harder than moving forward. Resisting change is a lot harder than embracing it. I woke up this morning with the sudden realization that nothing had changed, yet everything is different - in a really good way.
Where I did change, where my focus strayed and I forgot to nurture the relationships of those I most adore, they patiently remained indifferent- in a totally awesome way.
My friends & family play a major role in this Yellow Brick journey; it's amazing how much support you really have if you slow down enough to see the people on the sidelines.
The past 2 weeks have been full of amazing progress: I am running well again after 7 weeks of injury. I am back on the bike, not having forgotten the recent tragedy, rather being pro-active towards it in my own way (more to come on that in another post!). I have the fire in my belly to race right now. I have a lot of ground to cover to catch up, fearing nothing of the work, strength, blood, sweat & tears that it will require.
With tidbits of advice and enough strength to share- my friends probably just saved my season.... because somehow without having to ask, they see my mishmash of goals and good intentions and they sort it out for me.
When I am off my axis, when the challenge of this 70.3 weighs heavy on my runner's heart, when the chaos of life and being a single mom steer me off track, these are the people who are quickest to show up, and remind me that the red circles scattered across my race calendar have meaning, and purpose. In a sport that has the potential to matter so much it's hard to see where my small efforts can make an actual difference; their honesty tests my intentions. Without a doubt these friendships have been put in mine & Dylans life for a purpose. It is not up to me to make sense of how we got so lucky... I feel honored just to listen & learn, knowing these wonderful people are much wiser, faster, more humble, and brilliant than I.
Timberman is coming up quick. On race morning I hope to wake up to a navy sky, enjoy my morning reset of coffee, and while standing on the shoreline suffocating in my wetsuit, I hope I remember to enjoy the moment in appreciation of all its glory. I will swim /bike/ run in the pathways of those who raced before and ahead of me, my confidence fueled by those who've been beside me the entire journey...
Train safe,