Road Bikes and Trust

I was talking to my Mom yesterday about how the reality of how far the triathlon I am training for was starting to sink in.

The swimming portion I feel pretty confident about now that I have hired a swimming instructor. The running portion is going to take some time to work up to running six miles but it is something that I feel is very attainable.

Then comes the riding portion. I have discovered that I love spin class and I can ride for miles on a stationary bike in the gym. But a stationary bike is a lot different then riding outside. This is where I started to panic. Twenty five miles is a long way to ride and I don't own a bike!! I have tried to convince myself that I could borrow a mountain bike, but as I have studied about triathlons and what makes the difference between completing a triathlon or not, it comes down to your equipment. I need a road bike!! They are light, fast and a lot more comfortable for long distance rides. A mountain bike just isn't going to work.

My Mom told me to put faith in my training and faith in the idea that a way would be provided for me to get the exact road bike I want. She said to find the bike that I want, post pictures of it in my house and visualize myself riding on this bike. (She has obviously been reading The Secret) So I did some research and found the bike I want. It is still about $600.00 beyond anything that I can afford but I am going to think that a way will be provided for me to get this bike by the end of February so that I can start training outside.

I love the hope and self trust that training for this race is creating in me. It is so far from anything that I can even imagine affording or completeing but "by small and simple things great things come to pass" including a race.

Why cant broccoli taste like a twinkie?

Several months ago while I was training with Sam she would always tell me that becoming fit and healthy is 80% what you eat and 20% how you work out. I discovered this is true after hours of getting into the gym my body wasn't changing as it should. I knew it was simply due to what I ate. I was still showing results every week so I was happy. And to be honest I really didn't have any desire to change how I ate.

After resetting my goal this year I decided that learning how to eat correctly, especially while training was something that I need to make a priority. So I have bought a few books and restocked my house with only healthy foods.

But I have one problem. I love the way I eat. I live off of fast food, twinkies, cupcakes, brownies, and Sonic drinks that have crushed ice. Yum!! I love these foods. They are cheap, taste good and convenient.

I was talking to Amber about my love for these foods and how little I wanted to change. She made a really good point. Most things in life that are not good for us are easy, cheap, fun and things that we really do love. And changing those habits can be really difficult even if we know how damaging those habits can be.

So even though I am secretly going to wish for a twinkie with each meal I am sticking to spinach salads, fruit, vegetables and water for now.

One Step closer to getting prepared for my race

I caved in and signed up for private swimming lessons. I begin my first session early Saturday morning. I am excited because after a lot of research I found an instructor who I feel is very qualified.

I have to admit I am getting nervous since I am not a great swimmer. (It is more like flailing across the pool in panic, in hopes of reaching the end of the pool as quickly as possible.)

We will see how it goes. I hope to be gliding through the water like a fish very soon.

Salute the Broncos

"By now everyone knows what kind of football players we have here in Boise, Idaho. The undefeated, Fiesta-bowl winning with masterfully smooth trick plays, home of the national coach of the year kind. "

Friday was salute the Boise State football team day at work. Here are a few of the girls who work on my team. (Our boss a die hard Vandals fan refused to be in the picture.) The photo was also featured in the financial report that is published company wide.

The celebration continues......

I am NOT cut out for adventure racing.....yet.

Several weeks ago I bought a DVD online in hopes of inspiration and motivation for my race in June. It was a documentary about this incredible 135 mile adventure race in Death Valley that forty crazy runners attempt to complete every year. I had decided that this would be a great weekend to stay at home, watch this documentary and get some things done around my apartment. I started watching the DVD and it was actually pretty interesting despite the obvious low budget for making this film.

I curled up on the couch and watched the determination and power of the human spirit as these runners ran this insane race. Towards the end of the film I sat up to get some water. (I think it was subconscious after watching people run in 120 degree heat) As I sat up I heard a snap in my neck. Instantly there is pain. But I am watching this film about how you can make it through anything, especially pain, so I think no big deal. I got my water, a heat pad and lay back down to watch the rest of the film. Bad idea. Laying down only puts pressure on my neck and the pain increases. Still, no big deal. I decide to take a bath in hope that the hot water will loosen the muscles in my neck and take away the increasing pain. Well this doesn’t work so I take some Advil and attempt to sleep and wake up pain free. Problem solved.

The Advil works and I fall asleep, but as soon as the medicine wears off I am instantly awake and literally crying in pain. I can’t turn my neck, sitting up hurts so much that it makes me nauseous and my left arm is completely numb. Not good.

These are the moments when I hate living alone and so I start to cry. I am crying out of frustration and the idea that I am ALONE and in pain and no one knows but me. (Well this idea doesn’t make any sense since I know that I am never truly alone and I have a ton of family near by if I could just make it to a phone to call someone. But my phone is in the other room so out of the question. And sometimes there are moments when you just want to cry, even if it doesn’t make a lot of sense.) I decide that I am already crying and in a lot of pain so I force myself to crawl across the room, just like you would see in a sitcom and take some more Advil. This does help and once again I fall asleep. This time on the floor.

I wake up the next morning and instantly call my chiropractor (who is the best in the world). I am always able to get in and this was no exception. I walked in and he instantly knew there was something very wrong. The prognosis. I had two slipped disks in my neck along with a rotated disk that was pinching on a nerve making my arm numb. He worked on my neck for a long time but within minutes I am able to move my neck again and the numbness goes away. I am still very sore and have to go in once a week for awhile until things get back where they need to be. But I am very grateful to live in an area where I have a good doctor available at any moment to help me when I am in pain. And if nothing else I learned that I should not be so easily influenced by documentaries and if I ever hear anything snap again I am not an adventure racer so call someone.

Energy from Boise to Berlin?

Ok so I know that I have been writing a lot lately about this subject but I find it very interesting and feel the need to share. Last night I was reading about how our energy effects others.

There was a study done on how everyone is connected together through energy. 90% of the world functions their day to day lives living in low energy. The other 10% who live high energy lives balances out this 90%. This is because love, peace, patience and all god like qualities always overpowers lesser qualities like sadness, loneliness, ingratitude, rudeness.......

To get an idea of how much we can influence others. They said that if we made a conscience decision to live lives of patience and love. To just try to care about those around us. That our good energy would offset 90,000 people in the world who are struggling and putting out low energy.

As we live and truly love and take care of those around us, the number of people our energy offsets increases. (Someone like Mother Theresa who has mastered this would offset 10 million lives living in low energy. Jesus Christ's love would offset every living soul who has lived on the earth, is living on the earth and will live on the earth.)

What an interesting idea that our contenance alone and the energy we are putting out into the world has the potential to affect thousands and thousands of lives. I love that idea.

Energy

Lately I have been very interested in the theory of energy. I believe in the Golden Rule and Karma and so the idea of high and low levels of energy makes a lot of sense to me. So I am putting this theory to the test. These are the things that I am putting good energy out into the world and will hopefully receive back into my life.

1. Find someone to date who has the same beliefs as I do, is fun to be with and already understands how to be in a healthy relationship. It has been almost two years since I have had a serious boyfriend and it is time to move forward with that part of my life. I feel ready to make that move, now it is just attracting those types of guys.

2. Reconnect with old friends. Heal some friendships and renew others.

3. Find a job where I can be involved in the cancer community, especially camp. I know this is my passion in life. I just have no idea how to do it as a career and more importantly get paid for it.

4. Make a new friend every month. No one can have too many friends and how great would it be to have twelve new friends by next year.

I really feel that because our Heavenly Father has created all things, including me that if I stay close to the Lord and am aware of the opportunities that He is creating for me then anything is possible in this life.

I have noticed within the past few weeks that not only do I feel more connected to my spirit but I am also connecting to the spirits of those around me. In this week alone I was able to help an old roommate find some new living options in Boise and connect another friend who loves to play volleyball but can never find anyone who will play, to some games at the church. Neither of these things meant anything to me and typically I would have deleted those emails or dismissed them in conversations. But this time I passed it along and found out later it was an answer to a lot of prayers. I am excited to see how my prayers will be answered and how my energy test plays out.

I did it!!!

So I cut my hair!! I loved it at first but this morning was a bit of a shock. I am second guessing my decision but it is a little late at this point. It is only hair and I am sure in a day or two I will go back to loving it.

The Power of Intention

I started reading a new book called The Power of intentionally by Wayne W. Dyer. I wanted a new book to read and Amber recommended the author. I have only read the first few chapters but I find it a very fascinating concept and think that he might just be onto something.

He talks about how everything is created by God with a divine purpose and intent. Nature, animals, the weather, everything. For example an apple doesn't get confused and become an orange or a dog grows up to become a cat. We are a part of what was created by our Heavenly Father so this includes us. We also have a divine purpose and intent. But because the veil has been drawn and we tend to look towards ourselves for answers most people are not living their divine purpose. They are not fulfilling what God has intended them to do. Not because they don't want to but because they are living a "low energy life". The book is about finding the "high energy" connection to allows you to work hand in hand with Heavenly Father to fulfill your divine purpose.

I think that I like the book so much because it isn't a church book. It is simply a connection that one man found and wanted to share with others. He felt that this was his destiny. I think it is going to be a really great book.

Happy New Year

This New Years Eve celebration was pretty uneventful. I wasn't feeling very well and so here is how I spent my New Years Eve:

I went to the MPC Bowl with my Dad, Ryan and his brother. Dad and I only lasted until the first half. It was so cold!!! Ryan and his brother stayed the entire game to see Florida beat Denver 21-20.

After the game I went home, put on some warm clothes and snuggled up to watch a few episodes of One Tree Hill. I was in bed by Eight!! I did wake up to the sound of fireworks at midnight and I could hear everyone celebrating outside. That was fun. It wasnt exactly the way that I wanted to spend my New Years Eve but I am excited about the start of a new year. Happy New Year!!!