Opportunity vs. Obstacle. Lesson 1 in Reframing Your Situation.

I have been MIA for a bit in both my blogging and my training.

This is not due to lack of motivation but rather due to traveling for 3 weeks straight and then an emergency trip to the DDS for a root canal which has left more pain in my head than before.

I am only 1 month into my HIM training, and I am already 1 month behind! COME ON NOW!

This is just no way to go about life. No way at all my friends.

I am now set to leave Saturday for a two week trip to Shanghai and Hangzhou China.

All of this was brought to a head very recently when I looked at my workload as a huge hindrance in my training for all of the races I want to do, therefore I started to view work as an obstacle in my life.

You read that right. The very thing that pays my bills and allows for me to do the things I love to do in life was being viewed by this little lady as an obstacle. heh.

It took a pretty direct discussion with a friend to show me that what I have in front of me is an amazing opportunity.

I feel so ashamed that I had turned so centrist, but I feel very pleased that I was able to see the situation for what it was and was able to react quickly and salvage both my training and my happiness!

Yes it is MY life; however... my life includes a lot more people than just me.

So with this re-framing of my 2010 work travels (multiple China trips, possibly Romania, back to Guadalajara, Mexico and who else knows where) to be opportunities to see the world and places I normally would never have the opportunity to visit, I have also performed a reframing of my triathlon goals.

THE BIG CHANGES:
Gone is IM Florida in 2011.
Only 1 HIM in 2010: Welland here I come, baby!

My current life situation just does not allow for me to put the right amount of effort into training for a 140.6 mile race. As much as I want to do an Ironman, I need to know that 2011 is not the year for it. I have a lifetime to accomplish that.

As for 2010, my last endurance triathlon for a while will be the Welland Half Ironman on June 27th. After that I will focus on sprints and branching out and spending more time in the outdoors doing non-triathlon specific things.

Mountain biking, rock-wall climbing, hiking, a century ride or two, more running, some solo open water swims, heck maybe even a 5k swim!

Triathlon in and of itself is not the end all be all definition of me. I swim, I bike, and I run and happen to do these in succession on occasion. I can also walk, climb, garden, and paddle. Oh, and I am quite good at enjoying the sun.

Let me reiterate that I am not quitting or giving up anything. I am still a triathlete. I am simply reframing and in my new and improved frame of view set within the limitations and demands of my current job position and my current life demands I need to focus on fast and fun instead of long and, well, time consuming.

I am a new homeowner and would love to spend some time at home working with Mike on making it the best place possible.

Once I am in the situation of having to pick between home, work and play I will be in a horrible no-win situation. And I am not so keen on setting myself up for failure or stress. I do not need any more of that. I work in the automotive industry, thankyouverymuch.

So, I am gearing up and re-tooling my training to incorporate crazy travel, and then after Welland Half ironman I plan on focusing on lots of shorter speed focused training and really just making 2011 the year of kicking butt in sprints.

You better watch out Athenas! I am gunning for you!

Ironman will come. I know this. I will tackle it when I am able to give it the mental focus it will demand.

Until then, here is to life balance, travelling the world, spending more quality time with Mike and friends, spending more time outdoors in the garden on the lake and in the parks, and celebrating finding my path... for now.

<3

Now off to get in a beautiful sun-soaked long run around the 'Hills.

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