Life in the "Tri" lane

Well, here I sit in front of my laptop and thinking about what this year has been like. It's been a heck of a ride. When it comes to this new tri life I've adapted to, I think of the friends I've made this year and how I couldn't have done most this stuff without them. I've managed to do my first 1/2 marathon earlier this year in February, a few 10K's, a couple century bike rides, did 5 triathlons, 2 of them 1/2 ironman distances (one Vineman here in town, the other a slot in the Florida World Championships). Lots of miles, sweat, eating, and resting. All while trying to raise a couple of teenage boys and maintain a house that looks semi clean! Oh, and walk the dog every day. I wouldn't have changed a thing, I love it all. The sense of accomplishment hangs on for days and you feel this glow that makes you just feel plain good. I've met many people along the way, and watched some challenged athletes make their way to the finish line that gives me chills at the same time, wanting to give them a big hug, knowing and not knowing what they have gone through to get there. Can't complain about too much....
I sit here this morning sore as can be, ran a trail run yesterday that was brutal. A 12.7 mile run on Mt. Tamalpais from Stinson Beach. My quads have never felt a burn like this before, but I'm still smiling (along with complaints that I can't lift my leg up on this one step in the house!). Don't tell my coach, she wouldn't like that! I ran with my brother-in-law, Mike, who's my hero in tri. He's done some amazing things, like completed about 4 ironmans this year. He makes it look so easy (I know that it's not!). Back to the run, it was about 2,400 feet of climbing and back down again. But the scenery was amazing, warm beautiful day with glimpses of the Pacific Ocean and wooded terrain, like running through the amazon, not! Through steep hikes up, including a brief climb of a wood ladder, don't think there was flat land anywhere, it was either upwards, downwards, with a lot of cut backs, u-turns, zig-zags, you name it, it was there. But would do it again. Oh yeah, nothing a Drumstick ice cream couldn't fix after a run like that.
I'm happy with my life and where it's going, my boys' are getting a sense of the importance of exercise in their lives from watching their dad and I. You have to balance life out, and exercise is a big part of that. Without it, you can get stressed pretty easily, with all the economic and global issues all around us. So if you say you can't do something, it's just an excuse, just do it as Nike would say, what ever it is. You'll feel better about yourself. I do.
Happy trails and get out and move. Luv all, Loni