Summer is officially out....

The weather has changed, temps are cooling off. Before longhairs will change color, the days will get shorter and I will inevitably trade my iced coffees for pumpkin flavored hot lates(not that, that's a complaint).  I will trade my afternoon rides in the sun to indoor trainer rides. 

With the season change comes more change in training. Next summer I am stepping my distance up to the Olympic distance as my goal. Ultimately I would like to complete a 70.3(preferably the Miami!). On top of training changing I no longer have to get up and drive to West Chester anymore(again not a complaint in anyway!). 

My race is exactly two weeks out and I am getting super excited. The hotel is booked, bike will be tuned and fitted this week, the only thing left will be to get out there and kick some butt!! After a taper next week of course....

After my pull-up adventure on Tuesday I decided to do it everyday since then just because I could. When we were getting ready to change classes last week a student said to me "hey are you athletic? You look like you're athletic." I told him I was pretty athletic I guess. I wasn't really sure how to respond to that.  For years I was never considered athletic. Now my students look up to me and tell me that I look athletic, to me as a teacher of health and physical education that is the ultimate reward!  If you are a regular reader you may remember the post from a friend who told me that I would inspire my students and this would further my passion.... Well she hit the nail on the head and I saw it here first hand. 

I was so excited about the pull-up extravaganza that I complete forgot to include my little story from last Sunday. I was leaving the club and one of the maintenance guys was freshening up the locker room. I stopped to chat with him because I haven't seen him for awhile. We were catching up just shooting the breeze when he stopped and said "hey man I gotta ask ya something...that is if you don't mind." Naturally I didn't care in the least bit. He wanted to know how much weight I had lost and etc. He proceeded to hit me with something I was not ready for. 

"You know man, they have all these hot women in that magazine, forget that, they should put you in there! You're an employee...somebody real!"

I would have never thought anything about it but he was the third person who said the club should do this...that's pretty crazy that three people who don't work in the same department all feel the same way. It made me smile. 

As for this weekend, I packed the buildup and headed to the beach. I went for a beautiful ride this morning and this post is being brought to you from the sand of Sea Isle City, NJ. It is bittersweet, one I will be back in two weeks for my race, but it is the official end of summer. When I was driving down it was late at night and I had my windows down and the music up. I thought man I am going in to miss these days in a few weeks. But will fall comes changes and I am excited to see where things end up...where I end up. 

I hope everyone enjoys their holiday weekend whether it be with family or friends, new or old. I thank you, as always, for your continued support. Until next time...

All for now. 

Keep FSU and Do It For Yourself

Life is moving fast...

Life as you know it can change drastically, either for good or for bad, right in front of your eyes. If you blink or close your eyes for even a second, you could miss it or be completely off guard when you open your eyes. 

Today is August 27th...my birthday has come and gone right in front of my face. Things are speeding up by the month, day, even minute....

I have worked myself out of the rut I was in last week. I am not back to where I was but I am enjoying my workouts once again as opposed to dreading them. My turning point was last Friday. I worked a long week and a long day but I knew I needed to hit the weights because I skipped on Monday. It was hard and there were times where I wanted to quit but I forged on and felt 100 times better when I finished. Maybe I should just listen to my own advice every once and awhile huh?

Since then I've jumped in the pool and gone for a run, both of which felt great. My race is literally right around the corner and the anxiety is building by the day. I am excited, without a doubt and I can't wait to feel as I did on the day of Broad Street. This race will be much different though. It will have its own challenges, just as the run in May. The transitions, the possibility of a windy bike and of course the dreaded open water swim. I have accepted these challenges though and I can't wait to take them on!

Today I got to school early and there was no one in the gym. My school brings back dreaded memories of middle school, the warm up exercises we were forced to perform, etc. I looked around to survey the gym. I put my bag and cooler down and everything was quiet, I had a minute to myself to reflect and take it all in. I looked over and saw the pull-up bar. Something so small and so simple, yet something that has haunted me for years and years. As I glanced at the pull-up bar again all the memories of Presidential Fitness testing rushed into my immediate memory. The haunting fleeing of classmates laughing at me, the teacher shaking their head in disgust...everything. I glanced at the bar as I started in its direction. I stood under it, gazing up at it haunting me and I said to myself, not today. I jumped up and grabbed onto the bar. I closed my eyes and just hung for a second. Taking it all in and acknowledging the challenge that I was about to accept. I opened my eyes and pulled upward with all me might. Before I knew it, my eyes were level with the bar and then they gradually made their way above the bar....above the challenge. This may seem small, it may seem petty but to me it was so much more. I overcame something that had haunted me for years. In one moment, maybe 10 seconds at length, I summed up and entire year of hard work. It was such a small step and yet such a large one all in the same breath. 

Tonight I go to sleep conquering one  challenge and being prepared for the next. That of which will occur tomorrow when I take on an open water swim. I am anxious, but again, excited to take this on. This attitude is much different than that of before. In previous situations I would run and avoid these challenges at all costs, yet today I find myself taking them head on. This has taken months and months of hard work. It isn't something that has happened overnight, however this time around, I want it and I will stop at nothing. 

As always I thank everyone for reading, for the continuous support and love that you give me. I wouldn't be able to do this without any of it. I hope everyone had a beautiful weekend and did something that truly makes them happy. What's life if you aren't smiling?  Goodnight world and thank you. 

All for now.  

Keep FSU and Do It For Yourself

Where have the days gone?

There was a time not long ago where I was so sure of everything. I knew where I was going what I was doing and why I was doing it. As I round the corner and see the finish line however the questions have begun to arise and my feet get colder by the day. 

Some times when something gets so close that you've wanted for so long, you start to find yourself questioning things. My race is right around the corner, I am about to start the fastest semester of my life and yet it feels like things are not right. Well in fact I know they are not right. 

There's been a number of things going on, pushing, pushing, pushing me right up against the wall. I can't exactly pin point what started it(that's a complete lie, I know preciously the who what when where why and how...down to the min) I am just not ready to come to grips with the fact that it actually happened...twice...  For whatever reason though it has me questioning the big things in my life right now. 

Is this tri, this race, this thing I've wanted for so long the right thing? Am I going to finish or will I freak out in the swim and not even come close? Will I let everyone down, including myself? Will I finish top 10 or will I just look like an idiot. Not only that but I've lost interest in training. I have to force myself into every session and I dread it. 

Along with losing interest in my race so rapidly I have lost interest in teaching. I now dread student teaching, something for which I've looked forward to. I am questioning if this is something I really want to do for the rest of my life. Am I going to be good at it? Will my students like me and enjoy class? 

I would challenge any of you reading this that training for a triathlon or any type of endurance race is 10% physical training and almost 90% mental. This training is taking a huge toll on me mentally and I really need to fight it and get back with it here soon. With student teaching starting next week I will not be able to train in the afternoon or middle of the day as I freely could before. I will have some very early mornings and some very long weekends. It's time to dig deep now, really deep and find out if this is what I really want. Along side training I need to dig deep and bust my tail during student teaching and get every ounce out of it that I can. Friends family and mentors are going to be an even bigger part now.  More than they ever were before. Wish me luck!

All for now

Keep FSU and Do It For Yourself

It's not always rainbows and butterflies...

I find myself reflecting as I lay down here in bed.  I find myself going back in time, far back in time.  Not just weeks or months but a few years back.  A time where things were very different, I was very different.  I didn't have a care in the world, about anything.  I was a teenager, I enjoyed simple things and I loved life.  I was so naive about life, love and the pursuit.....

As I lay here I wish I could go back in time and talk to that person I was.  Tell them(OK maybe scream in my face) that there are bad people in the world, bad things do in fact happen to very good people and yes you can and WILL get screwed.  People are going to talk about you, people are going to look on and judge like they know you when they probably don't.  There are more bad people than good and there are going to be times where it feels like there is a rain cloud stuck right over your head.  There will be times where it feels like the world is crashing down on your shoulders.  There will be times where it feels like no one understands. There will be times where it feels like people treat you like dirt and you just won't understand how they can do that.  It was a time where I thought I was on top of the world and nothing could ever possibly happen.  I was very wrong and I think  had I gone in knowing that these things could happen, it would have been different.  Maybe things wouldn't have gotten so out of control so fast, maybe things would be different.  Then again if if's and but's were candy and nuts, everyday would be Christmas right....The person I was is not the person who I have become however...

Things are very different now that is for sure.  I am certainly different than I was both inside and out.  I wouldn't change things for the world.  I have come so far and learned so much over the past year.  Things are turning around and beginning to become different, but it is a good different.  I find myself getting excited about things I would have only dreamed of in the old me.  If I have learned one thing that would sum it all up it would be that nothing is going to be handed to you.  If you want something, you are going to have to go out and get it.  If you sit around and wait for things to happen, it won't, bottom line.  When you work for something so hard though and you get to where you want to be it is quite possibly the most rewarding feeling in the entire world.  The last thing I learned is that there are going to be people who come and go in your life.  There will be people who come though and never go.  Those people will be there day in and day out.  Those are the people who will ALWAYS be there.  The trick is finding who those people are and hanging on to them for dear life.

If you are reading this, you probably found it via twitter, facebook, or instagram.  We also probably share some of the same interest, from swimming, biking, running, or all three.  Eating healthy or working out to better yourself.  Regardless of why you are reading this I would like to say thank you for one.  People like you are the reason that I can keep going.  Support from people who read and like my posts means everything in the world.  The second and last thing I want to say is that everything isn't always going to be rainbows and butterflies.  Although I would like it to be, as I am sure you would to, its not.  When things get tough, you have two options, you can throw your hands up in the air, quit, walk away and say screw this I am not doing it anymore.  OR you can step up to the plate, bat in hand and give it your best swing.  If you never try though, you'll never know whether you could do it or not.  So why not step up and try?  No it is not going to be easy, yes there will be times that suck more than anything, but it's a fight and when you win that fight you'll be so happy!  On top of that, you'll be ready for your next fight and whatever that may be. 

I thank you all for reading and if you are in a place right now where you don't know if you want to fight or flight, I highly urge you to fight on.  Things will get better and that sun will come up to push that rain cloud away I can promise that.  Hope you all had a wonderful weekend and have a productive week!

All for now.
Keep FSU and Do It For Yourself

Tomorrow is my birthday!

August 12th....it is always bittersweet when this day comes around.  It is sweet because it is my birthday, obviously that is exciting as always!  However it always indicates that the end of summer is near.  I am excited for the end of this summer for so many reasons.  I start student teaching in the fall and it means I am in the last stage of college.  It is the final stage, something I have been waiting for, for the longest time.  I know I still have a long road of job hunting after I graduate but it is one step closer to teaching.  The other reason I am excited is because my race is in September as you already may know.  It is what I have been working my tail off for since September of last year and I will finally be put to the test!

 This past week was another one which wasn't too exciting.  I worked and I trained.  No sailing this week because I took over at my buddies house to babysit his three dogs and they left early so I didn't want to leave them for that long.  I have continued to lift two days a week and I can definitely feel myself getting stronger in the weight room.  For whatever reason when it came to to my bike and run this week though it was very difficult to get myself going.  I think taking so much time off last week definitely hurt me.  I also did not swim this week, which I don't like but I will be back in the pool this week, I can promise you that.

My buddy who I am house sitting for was a personal trainer and is still into working out and staying fit.  One morning when I woke up I found an omron machine in the bathroom.  I decided to fire it up and plug in my info and see what it had to say.  I could see the little lines blinking across the bottom and the anticipation was building.  When the numbers popped up I had to rub my eyes and look at it again.  It told me I had 18% body fat.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME 18%!!  I didn't have one of these machines when I first started so I cannot give you an exact number for where I was, but it had to be somewhere between 25-30%.  I couldn't believe it...I was beside myself. 

Last week I was talking with a guy Brandon who I work with at my health club.  I used to see Brandon when he would come in to swim when I first started working there and I was super inspired.  I knew he was a triathlete and I knew that, that's what I wanted to become.  He has definitely been an inspiration throughout this whole thing and he has helped me more than I could ever imagine.  When I was talking to him, I told him that I wanted to get better and faster on my bike.  I am averaging about 15 mph on every ride when I go out but I want to be faster.  I also can feel how I am still a little hesitant when it comes to descending hills.  This is obviously something I need to work on because there are so many hills where I ride.  After talking awhile he said "it will come with time man, don't worry about it!"  This is so true....I constantly need to remind myself that I have just entered into this new world of triathlons.  I did not run or ride before I started.  I am basically starting from square one and he is right, it will come with time and practice. 

Today I woke up and grabbed some coffee before I went to church.  I knew after church that I needed to do a brick workout.  I was just delaying the inevitable.  I grabbed my water bottles, my Powerbar gel and I was off.  I started my ride and it was hot.  Not nearly as hot as a few rides I have done, but the sun was definitely beating down.  As I was descending one of the first big hills I went to change gears and my chain totally locked up.  I couldn't pedal and I immediately started freaking out on the inside.  I knew I just had to make it to the bottom of the hill.  When I got there I jumped off and started fooling around with the chain.  For whatever reason it had popped off.  As I said before I am totally new to this and I had to idea what to do.  I was over 6 miles from my car and I have no idea how far I was from home.  I wanted to just call it quits, call my friend to come get me who lives right in the town of Oxford and go home.  I finally figured it out and jumped back on the bike.  I rode some more and as I was descending another hill the same thing happened.  Luckily this time it was easy to fix because I knew what to do.  I popped the chain back on and finished my ride.  It was just over 17 miles.

Strava report from my ride.

When I got back to my car, I popped the wheel off and switched my shoes and started off for my run.  I headed over to the park across from where I parked my car and my legs felt like jello.  For my first mile it felt like I wasn't even moving.  I got through two miles in around 18 minutes and I knew I had to finish....I had to hit my 5K just for myself.  I was already over an hour into my workout and my legs were dead. In this moment I wanted to quit so bad.  As I was running I thought of a picture that I posted on my instagram last week and it pushed me to keep going.  I finished my 5K and although it wasn't my fastest time, I some how managed to go 8 min on my last mile!

Strava from my run with my first negative split!

As I said multiple times in this post, I am entering into an entirely new world here.  I am someone who wants things instantaneously.  I see something and I want it right then and there.  I have become better about this on this journey however.  If you go back to previous posts or check out my twitter(ForYourself15) You will see how I have gotten faster since I started running at the end of last year.  I know that I am getting better and better with each training sessions.  I can see my body changing and adapting to everything I have been doing and I am so happy with how far I have come.  I would have never thought when I started that I would be where I am today.  2-3 years ago....HA! I would have never even dreamed of doing what I am doing right now.  Still is it selfish of me to want more, to want to be faster?  No I don't think so....I have never wanted something quite as bad as this and I can promise you that I will stop at nothing until I get there.

I am not sure how you found this blog but I can tell you that I have found some amazing people through instagram who have been incredibly inspiring.  If you are on there or not on there, you should check it out and find me if you want to put a face with the blogger (doing_it_for_yourself).  People post their story and their progress and it is awesome, I love it!  It is insane how your body responds to the pressure you put on it!  

This week is a busy week coming up, yes tomorrow is my birthday but to me it will just be another day.  I am going to train, I want to swim and honestly I wouldn't have it any other way.  I had a great dinner with family tonight and I am so thankful for them. They have been absolutely amazing through this journey and I would be truly lost without them.  Wishing you all a wonderful week and I hope you enjoy what is left of your summer!

All for now

Keep FSU and Do It For Yourself

That could have gone a lot worse...

It's Monday....and oh what a start to the week. I set my alarm for 4:45 with the anticipation of hitting snooze 1 time. Well the second time it when off, I shut it off. I'm sure you can guess what happened next. I accidentally fell back to sleep and leaped up at 5:30. I had a half hour to get to work and the club is 20 min away. No breakfast and no coffee. So I fired on the coffee maker and grabbed a granola bar. I some how left the house in about 5 minutes. I rolled into work with about 3 minutes to spare. Although the old ladies were not happy that I was opening the pool at 6(which is when it should open) they will get over it.

Last week was fairly uneventful thanks to a little scare on Tuesday. As you already may know I went to the beach last weekend. I went out Friday and Saturday, had a great time, road my bike on Sunday and I was exhausted when I came home. It was a normal Monday last week. I woke up early, went to work, did my lift, etc etc. Tuesday was the same again. I had work and then rushed out to sailing Tuesday night. I was exhausted and not feeling like myself when I got to sailing. It still didn't feel like anything was terribly wrong however. When we got back in after our races I started really feeling bad. I was holding on to the boat while one of the guys went to get the car. Next thing I knew I was getting tunnel vision, my ears started ringing and I felt myself going down. I handed the boat off and immediately ran to the bathroom to splash some water on my face. I had put my body under so much stress from the weekend and then during the first two days of the week that it just shut down. I got home and started sipping fluids until I went to sleep. Luckily I didn't have to be at work early the next day so I could get some rest. As the day went on I started to feel a little better but I was still hurting on Thursday! I know rest is important and I never gave my body a chance to rest and boy did I pay! Everything went back to normal though and I am drinking water after water again to prevent this from happening again. 

Over this past weekend my buddy and his family did the Governors Cup in Annapolis Maryland. I drove down in their car with all of their stuff to meet them at the party after. Although the party was pretty lame this year I still had some fun down there and met some cool people. I am just thankful that I had my health and a car that could get me their and back to enjoy time with friends. Saturday night we left St. Mary's college and sailed back to Annapolis. It's a 70 mile trek up the bay and it took us just under 12 hours. Most of which was in the dark of night. Watching the sunrise over the bay was definitely one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen! Check it out

Last week I came home and I found these shorts sitting on the dryer. I loved them, they still had the tags on and they were my size! So I'm thinking hmmm who could these belong to? So I take them upstairs, try them on and they fit like a glove. I find a shirt I bought down the beach and throw it on and it looks sick, so naturally I am super pumped. I am walking around the house and my brother comes down and says "dude what the hell are you doing in my shorts?!" Hahaha uhhhhh WHAT?!  Go ahead, read that again....yes you read it right!! I was wearing my brothers shorts. It was the most incredible feeling I have ever felt on the journey. I am sure I've said that before and guess what?! I'll say it again later too, get over it!

After more rest yesterday it was back to the grind today. I had a good lift and I am blessed to have multiple clients coming through today, one of which passed her swim test so I am super excited to see her! Tomorrow is back to biking and running, hopefully, if the weather holds off. If not we will be moving things inside. I am also headed over to a friends house to watch their dogs for the week and I can't wait. It's like a mini vacation every time I go over there and I love when they ask me to take care of their place. Like I said, other than my mishap Tuesday, things were very slow last week. I am looking forward to getting back in the swing of training this week. Only a month out from the biggest accomplishment of my life! When talking with someone the other day, they asked "could you imagine doing this two years ago?" No absolutely not. It was merely something I just dreamed about two years ago. They always tell you to chase your dreams though, don't they? ;) I'm running and I am not looking back. Thanks for the love y'all, it keeps me going!

All for now

Keep FSU and Do It For Yourself