Good Morning!

This is two days in a row that I have woken up feeling really refreshed. Well, yesterday I a little sore and stiff; whereas today I feel GREAT. No scrolling again this morning when I woke up. Except that now I am a little concerned that I feel good, so I will forget about doing the work that I need to do. I think that just by committing to journaling here I will keep things rolling.

I had a short chat conversation with a woman I know who I met through Masters swimming about 3 years ago. She is a really good swimmer. At the time, I was the only person in Masters who was doing Ironman triathlon, and I used to get made fun of, like triathletes aren't "real" swimmers. Well, I'm not a real swimmer--I just learned 4 years ago--however, I do swim fairly well. Anyway, over time, this woman (Mary Jo) took up triathlon and she and another woman both did their first Ironman this year. Mary Jo has turned into quite a good athlete--she had it in her from her years of swimming, I think.

Anyway, Mary Jo and I talked a little about what we're doing next year, and I mentioned I am doing an indoor 1/2 Ironman in a few weeks. She asked if my friend Judy is doing it, and I said no, I'm doing it by myself. We talked a little about that (my relationship with Judy--OK that's something I should talk about here), and I stated that I really need to train with people as strong as or stronger than me, even if it's just traveling to places to train.

Training for Ironman is NOT a team sport! I need to do what's best for me in order to achieve what I want to achieve. Perhaps that sounds selfish, but too bad. I am at a different level physically and mentally than I was just 6 months ago, and I need to keep building on that to get where I want to go. I thought I would try the "training buddy" thing, and I did, and it was fun, but I'm over that now. Perhaps I will find a happy medium at some point, but I find I just hold myself back if I'm around others who aren't as strong. BAD, BAD, BAD!!!!!

It seems as if I am returning to my single-minded focus of the physical, doesn't it? Believe me, I know it will be a challenge to keep the spiritual stuff moving forward. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your perspective), I find it best for me to be more anti-social in order to work on what's inside me, at least for awhile. Part of me is screaming out GO OUT WITH YOUR FRIENDS, and the other part is screaming STAY INSIDE YOUR OWN HEAD!!!

Towards that end, I am going to Pahrump, Nevada for the weekend, to visit a friend, Susan. I am a little skittish about this, but I think it will be a good opportunity to "debut" myself after about a month of isolation. Susan's good people. She will be OK with me no matter how I am. I am sure we will have some interesting conversations, and also some big silences. I need to not develop anxiety over this! Certainly I will have plenty of time to read on the plane(s) there and back.

I guess there are still a number of things going through my head, meaning no shortage of things for me to work on!