Less than a week

 I am less than 1 week out from my first triathlon. I feel mostly ready. I would like to feel more confident about the swim, so I am really thinking that I just need one more good swim at the lake, and likely I will try to get that in early tomorrow morning. If I can just swim the distance (750 yards) one time, I will feel good. I don't think I've written about this here, but my original race was cancelled. It was in Lansing, which at the time at some of the highest COVID positivity in the state, and so the restrictions that were needed made it so the race organizers felt they could not proceed. So I found another race, and this course does present some challenges that will make things a bit more interesting.

1. Swim is longer - Prev swim was 450 or 500 yards, I cannot remember which. New swim is 750 yards.

2. Hills. This course is hilly. I have really only been training on flat land for my bike ride, so that hills will be a new challenge. 

When considering those two things, I need to remind myself that my goal is to finish, and I KNOW I can do that. Sure, maybe in my head I have an idea of what time I would like, but I need to just let that go, esp with these new challenges. I am excited for this. Nervous. Awaiting it...patiently? haha. 

This week will bring much more scaled back workouts so that my body has time to rest. Today I do my last long run, and then its smooth sailing into yoga, easy/shorter rides, and walking/light running, and lots of stretching. Pam will be get here Friday afternoon (!!!!!) and we will go see the course and pick up my packet. Tuesday night we have a mandatory participant meeting via Zoom, and I am really looking forward to that. Shit it is getting real <3

Outside of my triathlon, my brain has been really really processing and thinking a lot about nutrition lately. I am realizing slowly that while WW gave me the tools and structure to loose the weight, they are sorely lacking in helping active lifetime members understand what they need to fuel their body. And some of the bits of the program, such as needing to weigh in (even though its only monthly), continue to perpetuate my mindset of letting the scale determine my success. Not overall, but in the days leading up to, the day I weigh in, and for a few days following, the scale has an impact on me. When loosing weight you know what you want to see when you get on the scale. You want to see a loss. When maintaining, sure you may think you want to see the same number each time. And yea, on the surface you do. BUT THATS IMPOSSIBLE. Or at least it has been for me. I've never weighed in the same since maintaining, its always been down or up, which then brings all the emotions with it. And so I have 3 things I would suggest if someone from WW was asking for feedback from members who are at goal/lifetime.

1. More information and resources surrounding proper nutrition for those who are more highly active

2. Meetings for members who are at lifetime - more content specific to relationship with the scale when maintaining, fueling, mindset shift, etc

3. Change from monthly required weigh in to quarterly. 


Anywho....outside of that, things are good. I've got a few big projects going at work which is exciting. I also went back to the office on Monday which was so good. Our company is starting to reenter June 14 but we could reenter sooner if we wanted, and I was just ready to get back to what I knew would be my norm. I was already going to spend time in my locations so I was out and about quite a bit, but actually working in my office at our HQ was not allowed, until Monday :). To celebrate going back into the office I got dressed up a bit and it just felt good. And it also was a needed reminder to myself of what I've done because as I have been really thinking about food/nutrition, some moments where I lacked self compassion after making not the best (nutritionally) food choices had me really just in my head.


And this past week Dad and I went to the Tigers game, which was awesome. I've got the week after July 4th off and that will be lovely as usual. And of course there will be the decision of what comes next. After my Tri I will be sitting down and mapping out a general plan for what I will do in Spring/Fall of the coming years, building up to my 70.3.


So that's all for now. Next post will be recapping my triathlon!!

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