Out From Under The Rock

It's been a while since I've posted anything, but that doesn't mean I haven't been a busy little bee the past couple of months! The holidays and off-season always present a bit of a challenge for a routine-driven animal like me and I tend to get a bit grumpy when I'm out of my groove, but this year I've made some changes that have helped me manage that issue more effectively. One change is that I've stayed more actively focused this winter and taken less down-time than in past winters. The result is, shall we say, a "less soft" me than usual in January. Another change is that I'm taking a giant leap into the 21st century and---gasp!---learning how to use power on the bike and making friends with the heart rate monitor again...and really enjoying it! I've also been logging some good running miles and the plan actually calls for doing the Arizona Rock 'n' Roll Marathon this Sunday (although that might go out the window considering a poorly-timed illness that has me sidelined). In any case, it feels great to be logging some good base work and I'm excited to see how these changes impact my performance come race season!

I'm not really one for making formal New Year's resolutions per se, but there's no denying that a new year provides a nice marker to reinvent your routine. Since my life doesn't revolve solely around triathlon (what?!!), here are a few non-triathlon related things that I want to include more of in my life this year, in no particular order:

Art: creating, viewing, enjoying, discussing

Plants: not just outdoors, but indoors too!

BBQs: we have a backyard, we have a grill, we have friends...we have NO excuses!

Neighbors: get to know them better, and do what neighbors do

“Neighbors bring food with death and flowers with sickness and little things in between. Boo was our neighbor. He gave us two soap dolls, a broken watch and chain, a pair of good-luck pennies, and our lives. But neighbors give in return. We never put back into the tree what we took out of it: we had given him nothing, and it made me sad.”
― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

Community: volunteering & becoming more active in civic events

And on that merry note...let's get out and do this!