One day down - and I didn't melt. I was out the door at 5:15am an two hooligans tried to get me to pull over. Do people get car-jacked in Hawaii? One shined a flashlight at me and the other acted very authoritative and walked out into the road holding his hand up like a traffic cop. I don't brake for teenage boys. I got to my parking garage and it wouldn't let me in. Apparently the big stripey arm doesn't expect me before 9 am. I can't say I blame it. I found an early bird lot and headed to the office. It was locked. No problem.. I'll just dig through the giant bag and pull out.. Ramsey's keys. Damn. Three strikes in the first 45 minutes of wakeyness and I was out. I cried on my latte at the prospect of waiting until 9:30 for my coworker to show, like the four-year old in an amazon's body that I really am.
My new best friend, the security man I didn't know existed who happens to have a master key, showed up about 10 minutes into my giving up on life and let me in.
I admit, I'm having a hard to prioritizing work. Making my kids and my training a priority is easy. The kids themselves and the long hard days of training are often not at all easy, but prioritizing them is never an issue because they are people and activities that I love. Prioritizing work is kind of like pretending swimming is my favorite sport. My job is interesting, the people are wonderful.. but where the hell did my day just go? How do I adjust my day to day life around the new priority - earning money for my family - happily? I don't fear under-training, perhaps I need it. I fear not knowing what's going on with my kids at school. I fear sitting in a chair all day long (and growing a chair-ass.)
As I restructure the day to day there's clearly much room for attitude improvement. Marathlete does a little thing called Gratituesday. So here are things I'm grateful for this Tuesday:
1. Water-proof mascara, to scare the poor security man just a little less in the morning.
2. Henry, Wyatt & Sky and their health and happiness.
3. Happy Gilmore.
4. The view of Point Panic breaking from my office window.
5. Soy lattes.
6. That it's not Monday.
7. Dawn & Ira at Splish. My latest suit is all about attitude adjustment:
7. Dawn & Ira at Splish. My latest suit is all about attitude adjustment:
oh i love this suit. (and your blog too - can't remember if i have commented yet or not but i have been reading it for a while!)
ReplyDeleteThat suit is awesome! I LOVE splish! Do they sponsor "normal" athletes? :)
ReplyDeleteHang in there Rach. A soy latte will save the day!
ReplyDeleteI love the new splish suit. It made me laugh so hard...YOU...wearing a suit that says "I LOVE SWIMMING" - to funny!
Cool suit!! Hang in there! We all face the same things ;). Good move on not stopping for some idiots. I wish my office had a view of the ocean. Lucky...
ReplyDeleteI think the whole suit should say "I will not complain about swimming anymore" and "I (heart) swimming!" Too funny.
ReplyDeleteI raise my 2% latte in a toast to it being Tuesday!
OMG I want that suit - too awesome!!!
ReplyDeleteKeep your chin up - it wouldn't be the first day if it weren't a little rough. Hugs!
I have a chair ass too!!
ReplyDeleteYes, people get car-jacked in Hawaii....be very careful.
lol...that suit is awesome! people would pee themselves if i ever showed up in that one...i love that "i will not complain" part most! glad you survived day one!!
ReplyDeleteLife is a lot like the Ironman..... bumps come up and you find the way around them. You lose your keys, you get a flat, you drop your gels..... and you figure out the answer.
ReplyDeleteYour kids have you as a mother, so even from up here in New York.... I know they are okay.
One foot in front of the other and remember.... today is all we have and all we need!
Doesn't it help having cool suits to wear?! Seriously, there is nothing better than something simple likea fun suit to make my day!
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine this adjustment period for you! I'm with ya on the chair-ass...hey, can you wear compression socks to the office? Then see you can use your "work" as a recovery time thus multi-tasking!!
Chin-up Super Mom...soon, you will be old hat at this stuff!
I need a new suit too! Whoa me! GOOD girl for getting your arse to work so early and getting moving...not easy ,nope, but all will be good....:)) Jen H.
ReplyDelete"Chair ass" doesn't exist if you also have a triathlete ass.
ReplyDeleteI like the suit!
I have days like that with work where I wonder what the heck I am doing there (no kids to be home with, just wonder if it is all worth my time). Some days are hard, and everything feels like it is going wrong. But others are great and you can gain confidence and a sense of self from it. It can be very empowering to take on new challenges. It will take time, but eventually you will find the balance in things. Just ask your boss to get a Starbucks coffee machine in the office to make the day a little more pleasant. I keep hinting at it in our office. Even hinted to the CEO that we needed one last week. He seemed intrigued...
A small idea: Use a big, swedish work-out ball to sit on at work. For many reasons- avoid the chair ass, get a strong core, and get a good laugh at yourself when you fall off of it every once in a while :)
ReplyDelete(Also a lot harder to fall asleep at your desk when balancing on the ball!)
Rach, sorry I know it's tough and I hated that feeling that I would grow a chair ass and all, but it was worth it all to help out my family (my parents and Reid and I). It will all work out and you will soon figure out a great schedule. I promise. It does all work out for the best. See you in Maui for our camp ;-)
ReplyDeleteE
Chair ass is a very real thing. I fear it as well.
ReplyDeleteToo bad you can't crush everyone at Chicago this year. I'll be out there cheering this year and hopefully going into labor right after the race ends since it's just down the street from my hospital.
I want that swimsuit.
Cute suit. Hey, I have an idea to swim the Maui Channel in the early spring? You should be able to train for that and work at the same time. Ala Moana must be walking distance from your office...
ReplyDeleteAnd I second the exercise ball thing for your desk chair.
Balancing it all is tough, some days are more graceful than others. I'm going back to work next week and have some serious anxiety about getting back in the routine and balancing act.
ReplyDeleteYou are one tough beeatch, fo sho! You'll make it with flying colors and keep everyone laughing along the way. Just make sure to keep laughing yourself (and at yourself - cause lord knows I sure do! - jk!;)
Why on earth would I mind that you copied GratiTuesday?!?! It totally made my day.
ReplyDeleteExcept, the high came crashing down when I learned about this new thing called Chair Ass? Oh dear.
- Adria
I just love opening your blog... hmmmmm lets see what RR is up to today.....
ReplyDeleteAlways a good read.
Love the suit.
Squeeze your bum cheeks for 10 minutes at the office everyday.
No! Better yet, go by a stabilty ball and use that for your chair!
helllooo.. go buy a stability ball
ReplyDeleteI can't spell today.
I like the suit! How cute is that? And, what's up with those weird teenage boys? Sounds like you are doing great job fitting it all in!
ReplyDeleteI NEED that suit. One day at a time with the work thing. Sometimes I just close my office door and cry into my mocha...and then I demand that my husband find one heck of a job after law school;)
ReplyDeleteTry to get a bike (MTB, old bike or whatever) and ride to work. It will be so much more fun than driving and you will feel so much more energized. I did that the brief time I worked in England (16 miles each way). It's a nice swimsuit, but I could not wear something like that as I only swim six days per week. Anyway, I hope you reach a happy balance between work, training and family life.
ReplyDeleteGuess we all love the swimsuit! Had my husband change the wording a bit and make me one tonight! As I can't figure it out without going crazy. No patience. Thanks for sharing! It will be very motivating and I'll send you a pic when I finally START swimming. Courtney
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