A sigh of relief...

These past few weeks have been a bit of a rollercoaster for me - in more ways than one.  My husband was all set to take a one year contract in Saudi Arabia starting next month, but visa issues has put that plan to the wayside.  It is bittersweet as I am really disappointed for him - I know how much he wanted this gig - but happy that he will be here with me longer (potentially through to IM Florida).  When he was going to Saudi, it was up in the air whether he would be back on this side of the world at that time.  Fingers crossed that he'll be at the finish line cheering me on and ready to catch me on the other side :-)

My injury is a calf strain and is totally fixable with physio and smart training - both of which I have been doing these past couple of weeks.  Flat running, no speed work, shorter distances for my Sunday runs = road to recovery.  Thanks to my Coach for her continued encouragement xxx. 

The pool is really saving my a** right now with my limited running - I'm even incorporating pool running to supplement my cardio.  Not my fave, but you gotta do what you gotta do.  I am actually enjoying my swims (yikes, did I just say that?) and will start to increase my distances next month.

The bright spot right now is that I leave for Florida next week and go on a Caribbean cruise the first week of February.  We are going to Cozumel, Belize, Honduras and Costa Maya.  All look like they have beautiful beaches (open water swims, here I come!) and we are also zip lining in Cozumel - woo hoo!

My WW journey is going really well and I am on my way to my goal weight (and target weight).  I'll be hitting the gym on the cruise every day and will be focused on enjoying myself while still being in control.  I would love to be down on the scales when I get back - fingers crossed!

So the hubby and I are going to enjoy our time down south before the real training starts in April - after that, the only vacay I'll get is where I can take my bike with me and I can swim (but that still leaves a lot of possibilities).

First bump in the road over - on to bigger and better things on my IM journey.

The first bump in the road...

In mid-December, I made the commitment to be more conscious of my eating (and drinking) habits in order to get back to my WW goal weight (and then some).  Every pound I shed is a pound less I am carrying...in the water, on the bike, on my feet.  I am pleased to say that I am seeing success (albeit in small increments) but I can be patient.  My goal right now is to get under my goal weight by the Around the Bay race at the end of March.

Along with my new found resolve, I committed to get back to a regular training schedule starting at the beginning of the year (after a month vacation in Australia and the holiday season).  My renewed positive mental attitude has definitely translated into my workouts - specifically in the pool and in my runners.  I have been enjoying strong swims and runs and all is good with the world.

That is until a muscle seizure put me on the sideline for running for the last week - not what I needed when I was riding that high.  After a very mini meltdown with my coach, she put things into perspective for me.  My target race is IM Florida - period.  Any other racing I get to do on my way there is a bonus.  It is January and my race is November.  This is fixable.  Of course it is - breathe a sigh of relief.

So I am doing my first pool run tomorrow and have made massage and physio appointments over the next few days.  Fingers crossed that this bump in the road is a small one and I'll be back on the complete path in no time.