meet the news goals: same as the old goals

Just seconds ago, my 2011 triathlon season came to an end.  I did not cross a physical finish line.  In fact, this came three weeks sooner than I had planned and budgeted for.  Yet, it came to an end nonetheless and came to an end the way it should, with joy for what I have accomplished, reflection upon the things I have yet to achieve, and excitement for what is next.

Here is how we got here, exactly.

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Three weeks ago I put together one of the best bike run combos of my training period.  Recovered with a decent run the next day.  Commented to my wife later that night that I felt better than I have ever felt.

A week later I couldn't walk.

In a way, its funny (but mostly just infuriating) how vulnerable we can be when we feel the strongest.  I did not do enough of some basic precautionary things that I [ EVERYONE!!! ] should do when preparing for such a massive event.  More stretching, more resting, more, um, core-ing?   My body fooled my mind.  And in turn my mind screwed my body.

I blame my mind.  I didn't let myself relax, enjoy the process, and be proud of the things I did / have done / was doing.  And so.  My mind and body were completely out of sync.

Thus the giant knot of nerves sitting somewhere in my right ass.  When life sets out to teach you a lesson, irony is it's best tool.

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By many measurements, I've had a ridiculously great year.  I am extremely sad about how this one ended.  But I have a lot to look forward too.

I have a newly learned love for yoga.  A reinvigorated passion for swimming, and swimming well.  I am committed to getting rid of one full day of biking/running/swimming in my training plans in the future for a day of yoga, stretching, core and mind health.  I won my first age group, then did it again.  I knocked 30 mins off my half-iron time -- and had enough in my training to knock another 15.  I've lost another 10 lbs.

My goal when I started the endurance event lifestyle was to lose weight and have fun.  The weight is gone.  Time to bring back the fun. If that means hot yoga and green tea, then judge me all you want.  I'll be too motherfuckin' zen to notice. Bitches*.

*That may or may not be how zen works.  I still got a lot of shit to learn.