Spring Break

This trip was amazing in many ways. It wasn't until the night before we left that the rest of my life came rushing back to me. I started thinking about work, paying bills, cleaning the house etc. and realized I hadn't really thought about any of that stuff all week. During the week while doing all of our riding, and my swimming and running I had reflected on life a lot and realized that my goals, ambitions, and clear thinking gets really muddled when I'm at home and gets taken over by all the little stuff that I have to do.

So here I think is kind of an update of my homework from the end of last race season. Maybe a little more in depth and I reserve the right to change this stuff but this is what I decided over the week.

1- I need to take vacations more often and I think that getting out of town for weekends is actually less stressful and helps me focus more than staying at home. How am I going to do this- My work contract is going to be re-signed this summer. I think I am going to ask my boss for more vacation time in the contract. If he can't do that I am going to ask for a comparable raise so that I can take unpaid leave. I think if I stay focused and get my work done at work this shouldn't be a problem.

2- I have been thinking a lot about my age and having a baby. I definitely want at least one kid. I don't want to get to old and not be able to have a baby because I am racing. So I am thinking that I will see how this season goes. If I can achieve the goals I have set out for this year, I have some grander goals in mind for the next year. If it all plays out I would like to go for the grander goals and then take off time to have a baby. I'm really afraid I won't be able to manage work, a baby, and racing seriously all at once. Something will have to give for a while. Have you coached people who have quit for a baby? I still don't really get how people do it. I guess I can do it how I want but....

3- This might change when I go to work tomorrow, because whenever I'm at work I feel a little inadequate compared to the grad students, PIs and post-docs. I'm really "just a tech". But this week made me really feel like my loves in life are not my job. Thoughts of work vanish quickly when I leave that place. I like what I do and appreciate the benefits, I can't really quit it, but hmmm where was I going with this. Okay, lets leave this an unfinished but a written thought. I'll come back to this. I'm also going to go and buy a journal.

Okay, enough of that lets get to the week.

We rode and rode and rode.

I basically followed the plan. I re-arranged the long ride because that day was supposed to be Erik and Bender's rest day. So I swam and ran on that day and did the long ride the day before. We didn't have any rides that were less than 3 hours and on the road rides we climbed and climbed and climbed. The riding in St. George is amazing, the whole trip was wonderfully exhausting. The pool was awesome and the trail/bushwacking running was exhilirating. We enjoyed the whole week immensely.

There is no Masters for the next couple of weeks. I will have to get everything in at the MSU pool. The hours are weird. 6-730am, 11-1pm, and 3-6pm. So this may take some adjusting to. As far as work schedule.

Also, I am going to Boston for a week. The first week of May. . We leave Thursday the 3rd and get back Tuesday the 8th. I will probably be pretty consumed with the conference. Our hotel has a 20yard pool and I have looked a little for another pool or Masters practice but haven't gotten anything concrete yet. I think this trip will be hard to commit to a lot of training. The hotel and conference are by the river which has a running path so that will be good.