Sunday, February 1, 2015

Balance

I haven't written in a while. The off season has distracted me - mainly because I'm such a wimp when it's cold and dark, and Siris has been so much fun! 

But I do know that staying active -- whether through the triathlon disciplines of swimming biking and running, hiking, yoga, strength classes, or simply walking the hills around the neighborhood -- is part of my personal happiness, and it's a priority. 

As we move into a new year, and as I age up into the adult woman group (40-44- yikes!), I feel invigorated! Last year ended up being the best year of my life. Tyson and I brought little Siris into our world on February 12, and we managed to keep it all together in the meantime! 

I wasn't sure it was possible. We both have full time careers and we both require outdoor sports to maintain our sanity (Tyson's first passion has become mountain biking).  We have Ethan (age 14) and Jade (age 11) 50% of the time and this new little bundle of energy 100%, I eeked out 5 local triathlons (and 5 podiums!) in 2014, and we still managed to have time for ourselves and feel like we gave each area of priority proper attention. Possible? I question it daily. 

People think we are nuts, but I find that you make time for things that are important. You can't overplan life. You just have to make decisions as they come, and you'll see where your priorities lie at the end of each week, month and year. 

I've made it no secret that we want Siris to have a sibling, so that is something we are hoping for. And... I plan to keep racing until then. 

So, with everything else going on, how do you stay active and competitive?

For me, lots of hiking, short runs, and biking when possible. Oh and occasional masters swim.  And, I added in strength training, which is a new area of interest for me. 

I've been enjoying strength work. Siris and I joined Life Time Fitness in Scottsdale. Don't laugh, but it was important for Siris to join so he could go to daycare while I'm in class. And, so our beloved nanny Alicia can take him with her when she wants to hit the gym. Siris has his own membership! 

Alicia talked me into trying a couple of strength classes at Life Time, and after getting over the embarrassment that I have NO group choreography skills (I could NEVER have been a cheerleader), I really have enjoyed it! Great workout. 

So what does this year have in store? I wasn't able to run other than racing all of 2014 due to a lingering pregnancy recovery issue. I seem to be over it, but I'm still keeping my distances down to 2-6 miles max right now. I raced the Xterra White Tanks Trail Race a few weeks ago - that was fun! 

I'm planning to race sprint and Olympic distance local triathlon races this year, and hopefully some 5K, 10K and trail races. Hopefully that will keep me entertained!!