Confidence and Strength

Recently, I was participating in an online discussion about Tri training, and how it effects other aspects of one's life.

Here is the question that was posed:

"Which brings me to a idea and I'd love to hear what folks think. I've been reflecting on the importance in triathlons to have the confidence to believe you'll do well by whatever standards you set for yourself. Part of that confidence comes from proper training... that is, if you follow a training plan that has been put together by experts, you can be more confident that you'll "do well" in what you trained for. But there's another piece of that confidence, which has to do with how we face and embrace experiences that are new to us, especially ones that in the past where we might have mental roadblocks. Triathlons might be a physical manifestation of this situation (and a simpler one), but there are lots of others in life. Do any of you see taking on triathlons as "training" for breaking through these roadblocks in other parts of our lives?"

And my response:

I've been thinking about this question since you posted it, Stu. The answer is most definitely yes, for me. This past summer, I was in a terrible working environment. The regional managers of the company had made it very clear that their goal was to eliminate my job. I was faced with daily pressure to justify my position, while continuing to do my job.
Every day, before I walked into the office, I would stop at the door and say to myself, "You just completed a 25 mile bike ride last night, up Krumkill hill. You can handle anything they throw at you."
On a funnier note, whenever the regional manager would come into the office, and give me a hard time, I'd picture his pasty white, overweight, flabby body in a wet suit... It made me laugh every time

Today, I am in a much healthier work environment. But it is still extremely stressful, because I deal with life and death situations every day. Sometimes, when I'm in a stressful, new or difficult situation, I'll close my eyes for a second, picture the toughest hill I've ever rode up, and know I have the strength and patience to handle the issue.
So, yes, Tri training has helped me immensely in life.

And now, my question for each of you:

What do you participate in, that improves your confidence and self esteem? What is it that gives you the knowledge that you are strong and competent, and can push through tough times?

Some New Things

As usual, things have changed a little bit around here. Shayna has gone back to school for the last half of her Junior year. We miss her terribly, but she's happy at school, so we're happy for her. Plus, we have Skype now, so we can see her every day....if she doesn't ignore us :)
But, don't worry about us too much. We aren't suffering from a quiet house, or the absence of a young adult. My nephew moved in with us for a little while. He chose to move up to chilly NY, from Texas. We are so fortunate that he is staying here with us, while he gets on his feet. Mack and Jack love having him around. Kevin and I do, too. I think it's a bigger adjustment for him, than it is for us. I mean, he's never actually lived with little kids before.
He seems to be settling in fairly well. Cammie loves having him around. Mack has convinced him to play Scrabble and Legos with her. Jack has twisted his arm to play army guys ( a game that I dread having to play), and today they created an airplane together.


Everyone's having fun!

On a training note: I've been sidelined by illness.
I haven't had a single workout in over a week now, because of some respiratory thing that I managed to catch. But, in preparation for when I can return to the track, I picked up a pair of these:


Vibram Five Fingers! AKA, Barefoot running shoes. The theory is that with a minimalist shoe, we use our feet in a healthier way. There is a huge movement of runners using these shoes. My hope is that I will have a reduction in injuries, as I slowly transition to these shoes. I've been wearing them around the house every day, and I love them so far! I'll let you know how they feel for running, if I ever get out there again.
That's it for now. Stay healthy and have fun out there!
-Heidi

50th Anniversary Party

My parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on January 14th, 2010. To celebrate, my siblings and I threw them a surprise party this past summer. My sister wrote a wonderful post about the party.
To give the story a different twist, I thought I'd share photos from the exclusive "after party" with all of you. Brace yourself for the glamour and thrill of this top secret event!
The happy couple in their element!

Various grandchildren relaxing and playing together

Performing surgery in the living room


There you have it. A glimpse into the glamor and glory of the private after party.

Washington DC

I got a new computer this week. The old one was terrible at posting pictures, so there are a few things I've avoided writing about, until now.
The first is my trip to Washington DC in October 2010. I love museums, but rarely get to go to any. Then, in October, I had an opportunity to fly down and spend the weekend in DC: The mecca of Museums...all of which are free!

The icing on the cake was that my cousin (and good friend) was also going to be in DC that same weekend! She's from Phoenix, and we don't see each other as much as we want. Okay, admittedly, I'd like to hang out with her every weekend, so once a year will never be enough for me!

Here are some photos from the first day in DC:






I met Kath for dinner that night, and we took a cab over to the Korean War monument. A friend had told me one of the "must see attractions" in DC is the Korean war Monument at night. The pictures don't do it justice. It was haunting, and eerie, and really captured how it might have felt out in those fields at night.

I'm just going to say that Kath is a pro at getting a cab! It was my first cab ride, and if hailing it had my responsibility...well, we'd still be standing on the corner.
By the time I got back to my hotel that night, I was exhausted from all the walking I had done.
On Saturday, I spent the morning going to a farmers market that was phenomenal. that I could just wander in and out at my Kath and I managed to meet for lunch, in China Town.

Then, I got so wrapped up in everything I was seeing, and just living in the moment, that I sort of forgot to take pictures. But, I did go to a bunch of museums, and just strolled around.
Sunday, I returned to Albany and my awesome family. It was great that Kevin and my Mom were so willing to take care of the kids so that I could have a fantastic weekend exploring a city by myself! DC is definitely on my list of places to return to. I'd like to go with my parents and Kevin, then take the kids in the future.

A Political Comment

If you follow me, you know I rarely make political statements. But today, I'm going to make one:
Occasionally I hear some one say, "Guns don't kill people. People kill people."
Here is my response: Really? I've never known anyone who could shoot someone without a gun in their hand.

I'm just saying.

Keeping it Simple

I've decided to make a New Years Resolution. I'm keeping it simple, and making only one. That is not to imply that it will be a simple one for me to keep.

Here it is:

I resolve to run three times a week.

That's it.
Peace.
-Heidi

The Blur that is December

Hmmm. Where to start.
Our awesome, free spirit, intense Mack is now 8! We celebrated her birthday with a party at the local rock climbing wall. It was a huge hit with all of the kids. I loved that we had 2 hours to climb the walls, and the two employees were fantastic with the kids. Sorry, no pictures because our camera is MIA.

We've spent the month decorating, singing Christmas carols, baking cookies and visiting with family and friends. Shayna is home for winter break, and it's always wonderful to have her here. She got her first car this month too! Thanks to a friend, she now has a 97 Nissan Sentra, and seems very happy with it.

And, now Christmas is a mere 2 days away. The shopping is done. The stockings are hung by the stairs. Requests have been made to Santa. Although, neither Mack or Jack will go anywhere near the mall Santa's, so we rely on letters to him. Jack has been carrying the "Back to Basics" toy catalog around for a month, and is adamant that he wants the ride on excavator- he shows anyone who will look at the picture.
He has also asked for, "More friends. new friends. and better friends. Oh yeah, that and more toys!"
Mack's list consists of batteries and pistachio nuts.
My Christmas wish is for health and happiness for those I love.
Oh yeah- that and a bunch of Tri gear!
-Peace.

Bethlehem 1st Annual Turkey Trot

Yesterday was Thanksgiving,and I planned to start my day off by running the 1st Annual Bethlehem Turkey Trot. The goal was to take at least 4 minutes off the time of may last race, since I was really sucking wind that day.

Well, I didn't meet my goal. In fact, I added 4 minutes to my last race time. But, I don't care. No, really, I'm happy to have been slower than I was a month ago. Now, I know all you runners are scratching your heads, trying to figure out what the heck has gotten into me.
I can answer that in one word...Mackenzie! That's right. Mack ran the race with me! My seven year old finished her first ever 5k! With no official training. When I woke up yesterday morning, she said she wanted to go with me to the race. I explained to her how far the run would be, and she decided to give it a try!
So, off we went, to register and get our numbers!

She worked really hard to do her best. Here she is in the 3rd mile!

She finished strong, and was happy to see Kevin, Shayna and Jack there to cheer her on! Here we are in our post race excitement.


It was a great morning, an I'm so proud of her for running the race with me.She says she wants to do another one!I'm trying to keep my glee in check, but it's exciting to think she might be my future running partner!

7 Days without Soda

I am a Diet Coke Fiend. I have been since I was 18. Over the years, it has become almost exclusively, the only thing I drink. I accept no substitutes. If there is no soda in the house when I wake up in the morning, I run to the local Mobile to get some before Kevin leaves for the day.

Sure, I have water after a workout. And, occasionally I have a glass of wine. Rarely do I touch milk. And, I never drink juice. So, probably 98% of all fluid intake is Diet Coke. Over the years, I've tried to cut back every once in a while, but it never works for longer than a few weeks. At most.

Well, last Saturday, I decided that I'm done with Diet Coke. I bought a 20 ounce bottle around lunch time, and by the end of the day, still had about 8 ounces left. I haven't had any soda since.

Has it been hard? Not too bad. Only in the middle of the night when I wake up thirsty. Only during the work day when I hear the vending machine calling my name from the other end of the building. If the office is quiet, I am sure that I can hear those cans spinning around in their slots, waiting for me to come and liberate them from their prison. And it's only a little hard when I'm standing in line at the store, and the person behind me puts a 2 liter on the counter. I thought briefly of offering her $5 for her bottle.

But honestly, by today, it was okay. I only thought of DC 3 or 4 times. But, once I'm home from work, I'm safe. There's no soda here, and I don't want to go out to get any. So, I've made it a whole week!
Will I make it longer? I think so. I don't like to fail at things. And, I did find a delicious tea that has been saving my butt every afternoon.
When I think about getting a soda, I remember what a friend in recovery said to me, "You don't have to commit to the rest of your life. You just have to decide for today that you won't drink."

It's very much like a strategy I use for biking: I don't have to promise to ride up every hill, I only have to commit to the one directly in front of me at the moment.

How bout you? Have you tackled any personal hills lately?