Words of Wisdom

I think I will be able to say this.

Yesterday's beautiful, sunny afternoon lured me into the great outdoors to ride my bike.  I was thinking, "I will get a good ride in this afternoon.  I can do this.  9 miles.  Cake."  I haven't ridden since last Fall sometime, and the ache in my behind today made that quite clear.   Not that it wasn't clear yesterday as I was riding up  Creedmoor Road -- I think I will rename it Ass-Kickin' Hill.  Yeah.  The 6-mile ride kicked my butt for sure.  But, unless you count the two unfortunate bike chain incidents, I did not stop.  I think my brain pretty much understood that was the expectation.  However, my thighs did not.  They were shot afterwards.  But, Rome wasn't built in a day.  And I can't get my body tri-ready in a day, either.  

So to say I was a little defeated yesterday after my workout is an understatement.  After it started to kick my butt, my bike started to kick my butt and the chain came off and it ruined my ascent up a very tough hill.  I was looking for a little encouragement after my less-than-stellar finish, and I found it in the strangest place.  Pinterest.  Who knew I could find encouragement there?  Yes, I find plenty of must-make recipes, need-to-do-it-now crafts, even earth-friendly cleaning solutions. But words of encouragement?  Could God be speaking to me through a social-networking site?  Maybe not.  I think I was just looking for words because I needed them, and there they were.  Right on Pinterest. 

Oh, yeah, baby.  Not stoppin'.

It is becoming really, really clear to me how important my mindset is in training for this tri.  I know, I know.  You're thinking, "Is she really gonna do this?"  Yeah.  I am, so bite your tongue and don't ask again.  And that's why I am getting my rear in gear so my body will be ready.  I feel pretty confident that I could finish today.  But the finish wouldn't be pretty, and I want it to be pretty.  Not fast, but a solid finish.  I'm not in it to win it but, clearly, the finish is more important to me. 

So true of me.  A very dangerous way to think.

I have to think I can do this.  As I wrote about in my previous post, I haven't ever really thought of myself as an athlete.   I realize the importance of that now.  Yes, I run and I bike with my family and we occasionally hike, but do these things make me an athlete?  Maybe not, but pushing myself  just might.  It's not who you are that holds you back from going after things in life, it's who you think you're not.  Exactly!  And that is why I have taken to posting these words on my fridge.  I want them to be there to remind me a hundred times a day that the only person that can defeat me, the only person standing in the way of my success, is me.  I have to train my body, but I have to train my mind, too.

So, today I have a new outlook.  It's a new day, and I woke up ready to tackle the treadmill.  I kicked its butt today, and that made me feel better about yesterday's ride.  A thought occurred to me while I was running today...maybe it will help if I start wearing Under Armour workout gear.  Athletes wear that, right?  And, after all, I am an athlete.  Or at least, I'm gonna be.