{"id":7117,"date":"2021-01-22T17:12:00","date_gmt":"2021-01-22T17:12:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/2021-january-19-time-just-keeps-moving-on"},"modified":"2026-04-12T18:46:45","modified_gmt":"2026-04-12T18:46:45","slug":"2021-january-19-time-just-keeps-moving-on-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/2021\/01\/22\/2021-january-19-time-just-keeps-moving-on-2\/","title":{"rendered":"2021 \u2013 January 19 \u2013 Time just keeps moving on"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Checkin\u2019 IN!!!<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe ultimate aim of martial arts is not having to use them\u201d<\/p>\u2015 Miyamoto Musashi, A Book of Five Rings: The Classic Guide to Strategy<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I find there is great wisdom in the thought above.\u00a0 Often times we learn something not necessarily to use it all the time.\u00a0 Rather we learn many things during the journey of learning a skill.\u00a0 Mindset and discipline come to mind vis-\u00e0-vis the swordsman\u2019s quote above.\u00a0 So it is also with triathlon.\u00a0 For example, I have learned to swim with a pull buoy.\u00a0 Not because it is a crutch, but it provides natural drag, allows for me to concentrate on my stroke, develop proper breathing habits and most importantly helps to simulate the wetsuit flotation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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me at SARC a few weeks back with a nifty stoic quote <\/em>by MA<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Speaking of swimming.\u00a0 Last week kind of got away from us with all the competing factors of life.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t so much busy as it was full.\u00a0 Re-looking at my Training Peaks<\/a> logs were, even my workouts reflected that because I didn\u2019t have much time to think after my work outs and record in Training Peaks or Strava my true thoughts and feelings post workout.\u00a0 I tend to find that as a way to be able to look back and review beyond the numbers where I am truly am at and what I am going through<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So it is with mental toughness and headspace.\u00a0 I think i have been able to take time and space and get my head right.\u00a0 I still recall on that day at the IM 70.3 in St George on my 3rd go.\u00a0 I nailed my swim and despite intense and serious winds, I killed the bike. Because of the wind (insert a myriad of du jour excuses) I couldn\u2019t concentrate on handling my bike and also eating.\u00a0 I was gassed.\u00a0 I was spent.\u00a0 I am surprised I was able to even muster enough to get out beyond my family.\u00a0 But man, When Miss Jenni Archibald screamed at me after I cam around that round point \u2013 yes Jenni, I am still scarred, but man, I was in a personal headspace that was dark.\u00a0 It was truly in a lot of ways, like when I swim.\u00a0 It\u2019s like when I try to concentrate on two things only, and that is breathing and stroke.\u00a0 Well I didn\u2019t have anything left in the tank\u00a0 mentally to go into.\u00a0 I think that was the first time in a long time where I was just lost, I didn\u2019t have a motivation or a coping skill to lean into.\u00a0 That\u2019s when Buddha, and Sarah came in and shared a bit of light with me.\u00a0 I know neither of them truly know that those moments of shared and external enthusiasm and hope re-kindled my broken flame, in their moments of outreach.\u00a0 IT\u2019s strange, because mere minutes \u2013 like 30 \u2013 coming into t2, I was like I SMASHED that.\u00a0 But hot dang, I didn\u2019t know what a deficit I was in.\u00a0 See thoughts and overall feelings in this post here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Just left saying hello to wife and family \u2013 the \u2018darkness\u2019\u00a0\u00a0looming and I was starting to feel its effects!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

I recall when my friend Chris called out to me, I had nothing, but I was like, I have done hard things, I have done this journey, I have finished this before, I have done all this and my family would not be glad if I walked off or stopped. It was in those moments of \u2018controlling what I could\u201d that I think i was the most shaken. Could I truly control what i could in that moment. Of course I could, but I was feeble and weak and not prepared for the deep dark well of EMPTY. I don\u2019t think I have ever been there. No, Not in this way. It was new, it was unique, and it was not REFRESHING. I think I was walking into the flight mode of myself and opening to fear when Chris called out and then later when Sara also called out. Looking back, I am grateful that she reached out to me the day prior in a quick conversation and \u2013 hey I know you from PTG. Love when serendipity aligns and then on the following day she was a welcomed voice of hope.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyway, I think it is truly this experience that awakened me to understand two elements of triathlon I ignored to this point.  Nutrition and headspace aka mental toughness\/agility.  Sure I was good and aware.  Sure I was moderately physically fit, but I ignored crucial elements.  So, this last year has been a mind growing and headspace expansion space.  Although I gained approx 30 lbs \u2013 I gained a lot of growth in my personal headspace.  I can\u2019t say here is the one thing or the one space that I went to and here\u2019 the tiny little blue pill that will save another.  No, it was rigorous.  It was introspective and to be frank it still is.  I am no where near great at this.  What I am good at I will continue to refine.  Where my deficits are I will try to improve and make iterative gains.  Where I make mistakes, i hope that I will have the grace to allow myself to recover and hopefully improve to something even stronger.<\/p>\n\n\n

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What I don\u2019t know is when and if I will re-visit that dark space again on course.\u00a0 Gratefully, in life vectors I haven\u2019t really been in that space, too often. When Liz and I had decided to live apart during our Yale and Connecticut experience (of note this was not a marital separation, rather job circumstances and options necessitated that we live apart during the housing problems of 2008\/9) it was definitely an eye-opening experience.\u00a0 That was a fun adventure.\u00a0 In the end, we were able to make it through, but man, the going was TOUGH.\u00a0 Deep, deep waters for sure.\u00a0 Arguably another one is secondary infertility, but Liz and I dealt with that very differently one from another and mine wasn\u2019t so much a dark space, more ignored and isolating.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Explosive Child (Audiobook link \u2013 Click Here)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Obstacle is The Way (Audiobook link \u2013 Click here)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Anyway, I was able to finally circle back and put some time here.  There is a lot of noise in the world today.  With the ever present political theater and its associated fodder.  Everyone is a professional critic and insider, however I am trying to rise above that noise.  I have been trying in the social media spheres to not share opinion rather share personal things, insights and memories or photos.  I have been reading Ryan Holliday and also the \u201cExplosive Child\u201d.  Tring to focus on family first and how I can improve myself in the efforts of being better for my family.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While I was swimming yesterday, I decided to shorten things up and slow down.<\/p>\n\n\n

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As you may see, I peaked at 1:27 per 100 \u2013 that was sans p\/b and that was a 100 or 50 yd set.  My average is 1:46 per 100.  I think I am finding my feel this go and I am starting to get into a flow.  now I just need to keep this consistent and hope that it pays off on the river swim in the Sacramento River on Oct 24.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have been on my bike on the trainer and I think I need a new bottom bracket and also I think I need to adjust my bike seat down.  I found a youtube source for some bike fitting at home techniques that I need to review:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anyway, I thought I would share the resource and maybe help this gentleman in Australia out.  I will continue to seek things out and I will need to adjust things as I start dropping the weight.  Anyway, I will get a few more trainer rides in this week and sprinkle in some runs.  It\u2019s time to develop the upcoming patterns and start pushing 6 hour, then 8 hour and beyond training cycles.  It\u2019s going to be interesting that is for sure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More Journaling to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Relevant Pics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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#triathlonlifestyle #swimbikerun #trilife #Checkin #roadtoimca2021 #teamzoot #triathlonlife #ironmantraining #2021 #familybalancetri #triathlontraining #teamzootmtn #triathlete #triathlonmotivation<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Checkin\u2019 IN!!! \u201cThe ultimate aim of martial arts is not having to use them\u201d \u2015 Miyamoto Musashi, A Book of Five Rings: The Classic Guide to Strategy I find there is great wisdom in the thought above.\u00a0 Often times we […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":19882,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"nf_dc_page":"","_eb_attr":"","pagelayer_contact_templates":[],"_pagelayer_content":"","rs_blank_template":"","rs_page_bg_color":"","slide_template_v7":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[817,452],"tags":[828,835,836,838],"class_list":["post-7117","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-prnci","category-2017-check-in","tag-tag-reflections","tag-tag-triathlon","tag-tag-endurance","tag-tag-tn"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7117","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7117"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7117\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24395,"href":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7117\/revisions\/24395"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19882"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7117"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7117"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/happyinthehills.com\/zentriathlete\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7117"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}