Apr 24, 2011

This is not about a list or a bucket.




I feel like a complete hypocrite. I said one thing and then promptly did another. OK, maybe not so promptly, this is me we are talking about after all, however In any case I made a plan for the year and then abandoned it before Spring had sprung.

Which as a side note, Mother Nature is really late to the party this year. For real Mama N - get a watch!

What is this all about? Well, I had said not so long ago that I wanted complete flirtation without commitment this year. Running, triathlon, whatever. Short short and short.

Add a couple of weeks of running happiness, swimming zen, and ordering my new triathlon bike to the timeline, and that brings us to today. Far from a fling straight to engagement situation.

I am now in training for Detroit Marathon, 2011. Short? Nope. Fast? Nope. This will mark my official return to marathon.

I am also signed up for a few other races beyond Detroit, as well as beyond the marathon distance - 39.3, 26.2, 50k and possibly a 50 miler in August. However, and this is a big however, that 50 miler may not be a good choice this year as I have another big race on tap 2012.

More on that in a bit.

This year I am also doing 5 sprint Triathlons (maybe an Oly if I can find one to squeeze in), and 2 sprint duathlons. I decided to make up for a skimpy 2010 roster by doing a few additional races. And I just purchased the new Trek SpeedConcept 7.0 WSD (OMG!) so I am itching to get some time in the saddle.

And that I certainly will.

My goal for 2011 is to get to Detroit strong, healthy, and happy. I found and embraced zen at Welland last year and have not let go. No matter how fast or slow I run it, it will be a huge PR for me. The PR is going to be there, it will be up to me to make it a PB.

See - a PR is a personal record. the best time in which you finish a particular distance. My 5K PR is 30 and change, my Half Marathon PR is 2:34 and change, however these are not my PB's, my personal bests.

To me a PR is the A-personality need to track metric of the sport. It is universal. everyone can identify quickly your PR and websites which track results such as Athlinks will tell you you r best worst and average times for each distance you have ever raced in all sports.

Great!

Oh, except that the attainment of a PR is not necessarily your personal best. For me a personal best time is one in which I was feeling strong and happy and really enjoyed the run.

So, my PB for the half marathon? 3 hours and change. Why? Because I was skipping and running and having a BLAST with some amazing running friends, wearing tutus and tiaras and crazy striped knee socks.

Yes - far from a PR but by far a PB.

And this is what it has turned out to be. The girl who almost cried the first time she ran 4 miles straight through, to the girl who runs half marathons for fun without training or a second thought - and most likely in some form of costume with knee-highs and tulle involved.

See, everything I do has nothing to do with bucket lists. I do no tbeleive in bucket lists, what I do believe in is that anyone can do whatever it is they want to do in life. Just set the goal and put in the WORK.

This is the rebirth of a runner, and the birth of a confident triathlete who has found and refuses to let go of zen racing.



I have reopened my second blog, the one I started in 2010 when Mike gave me the green flag for Ironman Florida. I wasn't quite ready then to put in the work and make it happen. I am ready now.

When I decided to do Ironman, I decided to go to the forums and have all of the Ironmen out there tell me the one piece of advice they wish that someone would have told them when they set out on their journeys. I am keeping track of all of the advice that I am receiving, as well as all of the training and lessons learned I will be compiling along the way. Since this is something so specific and will be just one day out of thousands in my lifetime, I decided to keep it in a separate blog.

This blog, the one you are reading right now, is the big picture of my transformation from overweight smoker to happy, healthy Jenniferlyn and will stay unspecific to a particular event. Should you want to see how the journey is coming along - feel free to visit the other page!


Have a great weekend - HAPPY EASTER - and I shall be more attentive to the blogs now that I have some sort of goals beyond not setting any.


So today walk away reminding yourself to never say never!

- RedZone, Jenniferlyn








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