Time for Resolutions and Reflections

Resolutions for 2014

I have been thinking quite a bit about the year ahead.  It could be a big year of change for me as I will become eligible for full retirement from my day job, after 32 years of service.  However, it is the opportunity to race in Kona at the Ironman World Championships in October that has me most excited about 2014.

I’ve thought about the many things I could resolve to do in order to be healthy and happy not only in 2014 but in the years to come.  I think it is better to put these thoughts as positive to do’s rather than negative don’t do’s.  I’m sharing them to get the creative juices going. I’ve thought (in no particular order) about resolving to:

·         Get back on my daily vitamin and pro-biotic regimen
·         Plan meals/feedings ahead of time, so that I eat protein and vegetables every three to four hours
·         Get my first workout done in the mornings
·         Leave work on time in the evening
·         Set aside some time every week to spend socializing with friends
·         Get a monthly massage
·         Do something nice for my husband every week

I’m not sure which I will pick, or maybe I should choose them all.

I had a conversation with a co-worker today and she is following a suggestion of choosing a word for 2014 rather than a resolution. The word will create a vision for the year and be the focus. An example that stands out to me would be something like “intentional” or “mindfulness”; I will make all of my activities intentional, versus going through the motions.

Some other things I know I’ll do for my health and happiness so fortunately I don’t need to ponder them:

·         The workouts assigned to me by my coach (typically 6 days per week, sometimes 7)
·         Monthly chiropractor visits
·         Wellness medical appointments
·         Take vacation time off from work

Reflections on 2013

I aged upped!  I turned 55 in 2013 and moved into a new five year age group (AG) in tri racing. Another thing I love about this sport is that it actually makes me look forward to getting into the next older group.  I’m not saying that it is necessarily easier to do well in the sport as one progresses through the age continuum. There are some wickedly fast women in the age groups above 50 who continue to be faster than many women even half their age.  There are however less of us, due to the fact that this level of training gets harder as we get older as the body takes more time to repair itself.  Among the women over 50 there is still a high degree of competitiveness but a sense of camaraderie dominates the interactions.

The year 2013 was my first full year of having a coach and it paid off as evidenced by my race results:

·         Ironman Hawaii 70.3 – AG 4^th place
·         Donner Lake Half Iron Distance – AG 1^st place
·         Ironman Lake Tahoe – AG 2^nd place
·         Tahoe Trail Run 10K – AG 2^nd place
·         East Bay 10K – 3^rd place

I enjoyed spending time in Hawaii and Tahoe around these triathlons and the company of my husband and friends.  I had a great weekend in Monterey with Cecile when we rode in the Sea Otter Classic Gran Fondo and were challenged by the hills and head winds of the last 20 miles.

The word for 2013 had to be “FUN.”  Trips to Mexico with family, ski trips to Whistler with friends, the rides to Davis with Mike, Lori, Cecile and others, as well as the training camps in Tucson and Tahoe with my coach.

“FUN” might be my word for life.

Running is a FUN way to explore a foreign city.