Catching Up

There is so much to write about I don't know exactly where to start.  Thank you for peeking in to see if I've written anything new.  I've been slacking on writing because I've been so busy in other aspects of life, I guess.

I have to brag on Harrison for a mintue.  The 3 day potty training was a complete success!  We started on Good Friday and by the following week Harrison was wearing big boy undies, with very minimal accidents, including days we have gone into the city for 5-6 hours at a time.  Now 2 weeks later he is going potty when asked, or telling us he needs to go, and he has been accident free for over a week now.  I am so proud of him!!  If any of you have children needing potty training I can definitely recommend the method that was recommended to me.

My triathlon training is going really well.   I am becoming more and more confident and comfortable in the water, finding a nice even rhythm with my stroke and my endurance is increasing.  I have swam 1000m, biked 20 km and walked 5 km consistently for the last week and I feel great.

Tomorrow is a very exciting day for me.  My coach, Stan, is taking me to a few of the triathlon shops in Calgary and I will buy some of the clothing I need for training and racing.  I will also be fitted for whatever size of bike I need.  My understanding is that it's mostly based on height and proportion, so we'll see!  The amazing blessing is that Stan is so excited to help me train that he wants to buy the bike for me and encouragement to continue towards my goal.  The big deal is that the road bike is around $1000 for an entry level bike!  Crazy!  It has always been Stans dream to help coach and train someone so it is fulfilling for him as well. 

I was watching a DVD of the 2005 Ironman Canada this week while I folded laundry (exciting, right?) and I cried my eyes out.  I don't know how much you know about triathlon and the Ironman but it starts with a 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bike, and then a full marathon of 26.2 miles; distances that are totally inconceivable to me right now.  It is a grueling race that takes nearly 18 hours for the top athletes to complete.  So why did it make me cry?  Because I felt like it was speaking to my heart; calling to my inner desires to do better, to be more. To challenge myself.  I used to be fairly fit while in high school and very active and competitive in athletics but where did it all go? Realizing that those desires are still there, that they've just been dormant made me cry with joy.  The announcers were talking about one woman saying that she is peaking at her triathlon career at age 38 and I knew deep down inside that these athletes are all just human beings like you and I.  That if they can train and be disciplined, so can I.  I can do this!  I may never complete an Ironman but maybe I will.  I am leaving that as an open door and possibility because I have discovered the drive and fire that is still burning inside of me.

I have so much more to write and share but this will be it for tonight as it is already 2 am.  I am sure that I will be posting some photos of my new road bike tomorrow.  Tomorrow evening I am actually doing a "test" triathlon where I will be covering all the distances back-to-back, just like race day so I can get a benchmark for where I am at today and have some times that I can aim to improve on.  Lots more to share in the upcoming days! Stay tuned and thanks for reading.