Another season already?

Post-Memorial Day, multiple 90-degree days, lines of cars rolling into Hull (but yes I went into the less-than-60-degree water). Oh yes, summer is here. Gentlemen, start your engines -- here I go again -- yet another re-start.


I'm tired of telling everyone how busy I am, but this week was the confluence of building my practice, the campaign, and some other "stuff" just keeps me busier than I can manage. It's all good, but my priorities have had to shift. Eating isn't all that bad, but there has been little to no time for training.

So here I am, on the hottest day of the year, but I did manage 35 minutes of walk/run along the beach this morning, and another 15 minutes of walking later. I've tried to keep walking whereever I can -- even walking back from Fenway to the Boston Common on Thursday night (thats almost 2 1/2 miles).

I also bought myself a decent grill and have had some fun figuring out how to use it. I've discovered that the coals last a long time, well beyond whatever it is I've planned for that evenings meal, so I make sure to have some extra meat or veggies to grill for more meals. Tonight I grilled a couple of salmon steaks, yellow squash and zucchini, a potato in the coals (but don't rub it in olive oil -- it smokes and burns, even in foil), and some chicken italian sausage (forgot the onion and peppers). That should keep me going for much of the week!

My bag is packed for the pool tomorrow. That water will feel really good on a hot morning.



Oh, and in part of the "lightening" effort, I cut 6 inches off of my hair. It's a cute, flippy, professional, much easier to manage, just over shoulder-length cut now. I've been growing it out for almost 5 years, which I can't believe!

RE-Starting, AGAIN.

What can I say, I'm not quitting, and I have to remember the mantra I've clipped from Tri-DRS member CathyM: "relentless progress forward."

So I haven't been relentless, nor have I moved forward, but I'm taking it on again. Balancing work and life and food and training and sleep and eczema has been very difficult, but I've got no excuses left. I also have a window coming up -- a chance to try out the PLAN (deets below) with less stress than typical. And to remind myself of the GOAL (jeans + fitness).

I'm sleeping so much better now, getting to bed at a sane hour, sleeping through the night most nights, and awake around 6. I finally feel like I've caught up on some of that lost sleep, so at 6, I can get out of bed and MOVE.

I have not been doing well with trigger foods, either. Thus, I'm doing something I don't like to do, but its necessary for a short time. I'm de-toxing: focussing on eating only lean protein, fruits and veggies, a little skim milk or FF yogurt in the morning, and a little good fat. To drink, water and de-caff or green tea. No sugars, No flour, No grains, No cheese, No coffee (not even de-caff). In two weeks I'll see how its going, and how I'm feeling. I have to admit, I had a serious jones for some baked goods this afternoon, but I worked through it, and dinner comes shortly, so I'll be fine.

I ran yesterday, for the first time in almost 2 weeks. I spent some time on core/strength training today. Tomorrow my lovely "long" run or a bike ride if I can get out early enough to beat the traffic.

Wow, more thunder. So the day began, so it ends. Today has been rainy, sunny, cool and foggy. Welcome to spring in New England.

Mourning Doves cooing around the open bedroom window this morning.

'Vertible top *down* on the way to work.

Bright sunny skies.

And I slept! Not entirely through the night, I tossed and turned, but I didn't wake up to full consciousness. Cross your fingers gang, this might be helping.

Maybe I'll even be rested enough to go for a run tomorrow. I hope so!

The Vernal Equinox

So caught up in my exhaustion, that I missed blogging about one of my favorite days! Thanks for the reminder,Tink, and good luck to you at IMAZ, you're going to ROCK!!!

The sun was warm but the wind was chill.
You know how it is with an April day
When the sun is out and the wind is still,
You're one month on in the middle of May.
But if you so much as dare to speak,
A cloud comes over the sunlit arch,
A wind comes off a frozen peak,
And you're two months back in the middle of March.

Robert Frost (1874–1963)Two Tramps in Mud Time (1936)