A pregnant pause

It's been 9 months since I've had any big desire to write a blog post. NO I'm not pregnant, and no, it's not for a lack of things to say about triathlon... I'm still training. In fact, I'm doing my second full Ironman in about three months.

It's just been the lack of "firsts." I've had them all now. Nothing is really new this time around.

This year started out pretty rough. I had a SUPER tight IT band (on my left leg) as a result from my last Ironman, that refused to go away. I still biked and swam during the winter, but running was out of the question pretty much until March/April. About 6 months.

If you know me, you know running is my THANG. As in, if I could never bike or swim again, that would be fine, as long as I could run and run a lot. It's a "place" that makes me feel alive; it's where I generate a lot of my creative ideas, and it's where I "go" to sort out all of the junk between my synapses...get those connections a little smoother, firing a little better.

So as it would be, my first "race" of the year was a trail relay. The Smokey Mountain Relay in North Carolina. It was super fun, funny, cold, windy, smelly...all of the things you would imagine a race through the mountains in a van with 6 other runner friends to be. I QOMed all of my run segments -- somehow, knowing your team is counting on you makes the stakes a little higher.

During my last relay segment, I began to feel that stupid IT band again. But that was the last time I felt it, because shortly there after, I started seeing my favorite chiropractor on the planet, Dr. Norm Eng. He got that ish all straightened out. Now I'm running faster than I was before. Take that, IT band.

After that, I signed up for IM Chatt. Nathan, the BF, wanted to race an IM again (he's already done a gazillion, but mostly just runs ridiculously long trail races now. READ: he's a mountain goat in human form). He picked Chatt - it's a local (as in 2 hours away) race and his BFF happens to live right outside the city. So it worked out from a logistical and financial standpoint. It wasn't my first choice race, but I signed up for it, too.

Training has been great so far. I really wanted to work on my biking this year, and I have been a lot stronger...I think it's partly due to all that damn biking I did when I couldn't run in the off season.

I just did the Peachtree Road Race, and got a slightly better time than last year (my first year)...on tired legs as always. Can't stop IM training for a little 10k!

My intern, who I got to run the Peachtree (also possibly my favorite intern to date) couldn't believe what I do outside of work...all this training...how I fit it in...how impressive it is, and how she wanted to live that lifestyle when she graduates. She ran Boston this year, and she goes to a smarty-pants school, so she's quite impressive herself at age 19. I never really thought what I "do" outside of work is impressive. It is just my hobby. Sure, it has the hours of a part-time job, but it's what I love. It's just...part of me. And it's what a large group of my friends do. I guess with a little perspective from her, what we do as triathletes is a bit extraordinary.

Anyway, I'll be turning 29 in a few days. YIKES. How did I get this close to staring down 30? I don't like change, and change in numbers is one of the worst offenders for me. I had a major freakout when I turned 20...I was living in DC, just returned from a government leadership program in Africa, I was interning my face off at a think tank, while taking summer classes, and doing WAY MORE than most people that age. But still, I was thinking, "I haven't made it yet, and I'm falling behind on my goals." How silly that sounds to me now. Hindsight, right? YOU WERE 20!

I need to remember that, going into my next decade. I HAVE done a lot in the past 9 years. I graduated magna cum laude, with a degree in International Affairs from a good university. I spent my 21st birthday in Romania volunteering and researching what would become the subject of honors thesis -- the plight of the Roma. I landed an internship the next year, at the CNN DC bureau, with zero journalism background. I got a job with them, a few months out of college, at CNN HQ in Atlanta. Moved to a new city with no friends. I built my career from entry-level prompter person, to world traveling producer of some epic features content. I have made it; "it" being a life that I enjoy...and I will continue to do that into the next 10 years.

That same skewed logic I have goes for sports, as well. From tennis player, to runner, to Ironwoman, to whatever is next...I always think I'm "too late to the game" e.g. -- I wish I had found running and triathlon earlier than at the age of 24, that I would be so much better, and faster and all of that jazz. Well, WHATEVER to that. I still have a long career ahead of me in this realm, too. It may be getting harder to medal now, but that makes the glory of it all that much sweeter.

Until next time!

#IronmanChattanooga #ITband #ITB #ITBS #IMChatt #PeachtreeRoadRace #Triathloninjury #QOM #CNN #GWU #Ironwoman