I started this blog just shy of one year ago. I wanted to document my marathon training and instagram didn’t allow enough words to describe that endeavor. Then my life paused in the fall. I felt like I was sitting at a train station watching trains zoom by, heading to destinations that I could no longer be a part of and it felt paralyzing. How on earth could I watch close friends continue on in their pregnancies when I should be right there beside them?!
Starting up training again for the Go Girl Half Marathon helped me to focus away from those thoughts and stop feeling sorry for myself. Guys – exercise releases dopamine into the brain. It changed my mental state, and running became so therapeutic and healing for me! Now was the time to attempt a sub two hour half marathon.
Then along comes my running/triathlon friend Madison. She decided she wants to complete an Ironman this year (for those of you who don’t speak our language, that’s a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run). She told me about a HALF ironman distance that’s in Tulsa at the end of May and said we should just do it.
::Flashback:: Right after the miscarriage I was scouring the Ironman website for a half that I could do in May or June. I thought, to hell with life I need something amazing to complete around the time our baby would have been born. But then the cost was sky high, you’d have to travel a significant distance, and I just thought well now’s not the time. Thennnnn Madison had to bring up that Tulsa has a half distance, not put on by Ironman, so it’s WAY cheaper, and we wouldn’t have to travel. It took me about two days of thinking on it to jump in full speed ahead.
And here I am, and it’s crazy and amazing. Four days a week I have two a day workouts. Solo workouts two other days a week, and Sundays off. And there are some key things in life right now that make this possible.
- Josiah is in school full days. Often I can get both workouts done before him or Rob even get home. Some days I get one done in the morning, then we all go to the gym together in the evening.
- I don’t have any weddings until May 26th (the triathlon is May 21st). I could not. COULD NOT do the longer, 4 to 5 hour bricks on the weekends if this were different.
- Rob supports me 100%. I often feel guilty about any evening workouts that take me away from him and Josiah. If he gave even the slightest hint of disappointment, I couldn’t do this. But he pushes me out the door with a smile on his face.
- I own a crockpot.
No really, we might not eat sometimes if it weren’t for the crockpot doing the work for me 🙂
Occasionally, like last night and this morning, I had to pause my workout to fix a client contract. And I had to take a phone call and plan a meeting with a bride. Editing gets done in between workouts and on Sundays. I’m still intentional about business friendships, and small group gatherings with our church are not going to be neglected for training. Yeah, I’m pretty busy, but we make time for what’s important. Time shouldn’t be an excuse for not going after big goals. Make it a priority, and life seems to fall in line.
That’s all for now. And of course no blog is complete without pictures.
We Are The Griffioen's 