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Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Eat, Sleep, Eat, Train, Eat, Sleep, Eat, Train, Eat, Sleep...Repeat tomorrow.
I am not a conventional athlete. Or atleast I didn't use to be. The past few months I have found myself succombing to the usual way of an elite athlete. I haven't exactly figured out why, but what I can say is that I am thankful I focussed enough for this last training block to be a 24hr athlete, but I am also thankful for the break.
A very important part of training and succeeding is resting and enjoying the time off. As I say this, training to me is fun, I love it, and I don't need a holiday from it...but my body does need the rest, and I have to admit that, and allow it to rest and recover from what I put it through the last six weeks. Basically the idea is to break your body down, recover, come back stronger and do it again...and enjoy it.
So I'm heading back to Ontario for a VACATION as it states in my program...I have an easy week of 10 hrs of training!
Friday, July 13, 2007
Making it work.
I recently had some correspondance with a good friend about "the great scheme of things". The friend is around my age and in the same situation. This situation I speak of I have narrowed down to "what happens when you are 27 and improving by leaps and bounds in your sport, but feel external pressure to move on with your life".
True, there aren't a lot of us in this age group who are still going for it. Most of the women still in the sport at this age have already "made it". I struggle with this fact every day, but have also come to the realization that perhaps I'm one of the few that get to have this experience and life at this age, perhaps I don't have to "move on with my life", perhaps this IS my life. To be honest its a pretty damn good one at that.
True, I get stressed out a lot (due to financial stress, carrear stress, family stress, marriage stress, life stress etc. etc.), but I don't think that is the nature of everyone in this said "situation". I have come to realization its my personality to blow almost every issue out of proportion and believe that any set back is actually the end of the world. Its actually not, and some have labeled me as a "drama junky", not really knowing if the root of the drama is because I get bored and create it for entertainments sake or if it actually is an external event out of my control happening to me.
At any rate, questioning yourself is a good thing, and always striving to succeed is a good thing, no matter what pursuit you chose. Eventually you will know when that pursuit has ended and all of the sacrifices, set backs and yes, drama will be well worth it in the end when you finally sit down and reflect on the journey, so you might as well make it a great journey, oh and enjoy every minute of it
I recently had some correspondance with a good friend about "the great scheme of things". The friend is around my age and in the same situation. This situation I speak of I have narrowed down to "what happens when you are 27 and improving by leaps and bounds in your sport, but feel external pressure to move on with your life".
True, there aren't a lot of us in this age group who are still going for it. Most of the women still in the sport at this age have already "made it". I struggle with this fact every day, but have also come to the realization that perhaps I'm one of the few that get to have this experience and life at this age, perhaps I don't have to "move on with my life", perhaps this IS my life. To be honest its a pretty damn good one at that.
True, I get stressed out a lot (due to financial stress, carrear stress, family stress, marriage stress, life stress etc. etc.), but I don't think that is the nature of everyone in this said "situation". I have come to realization its my personality to blow almost every issue out of proportion and believe that any set back is actually the end of the world. Its actually not, and some have labeled me as a "drama junky", not really knowing if the root of the drama is because I get bored and create it for entertainments sake or if it actually is an external event out of my control happening to me.
At any rate, questioning yourself is a good thing, and always striving to succeed is a good thing, no matter what pursuit you chose. Eventually you will know when that pursuit has ended and all of the sacrifices, set backs and yes, drama will be well worth it in the end when you finally sit down and reflect on the journey, so you might as well make it a great journey, oh and enjoy every minute of it
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Grandpa's Birthday
Today is my grandpa's birthday. He turns 85 I believe. My birthday is on the 14th. When I was growing up, we celebrated together- the cake often read "Happy Birthday Brooke and Grandpa". I tried to make it hope this week to have a reunion of sorts of this occasion. It didn't happen- I have selfishly decided to stay here and "prepare" for the first intensity block of the season. Hopefully in about ten days time we can have a celebration together.
My Grandpa is quite the character. I learned to play "spoons" on my knee when I was about 6 at a camp fire while camping with my grandparents somewhere in Ontario- Kill Bear most likely- we liked it there. My Grandpa (Frank) played the Guitar (pronounced with a "hard" G in a southern accent would be the best way to say it- like my Grandpa). Comin' round the mountain was the favourite- actions included (My Grandpa's Yee Haw's echoed throught campsite). Every kid at the campground would be at our campsite by dark- ready with different instruments (sticks, harmonica's, pots and pan's) but I always had the spoons.
His laugh is infectious. His love of music and dancing is even more infectious. My favourite memory as an adult was watching my Grandma and Grandpa dance together to a Rod Stewart Hits DVD my mom got for Christmas. Or perhaps, my grandpa listening to the radio of a baseball game under his pillow.
There is also the hidden buckets of Neopotian ice cream that he is not supposed to eat. And of course golf balls he re-sells in egg cartons that he has "simply come across in random places".
At any rate, I am excited to go home and "hang with the grandparents" as my brother likes to say...
My Grandpa is quite the character. I learned to play "spoons" on my knee when I was about 6 at a camp fire while camping with my grandparents somewhere in Ontario- Kill Bear most likely- we liked it there. My Grandpa (Frank) played the Guitar (pronounced with a "hard" G in a southern accent would be the best way to say it- like my Grandpa). Comin' round the mountain was the favourite- actions included (My Grandpa's Yee Haw's echoed throught campsite). Every kid at the campground would be at our campsite by dark- ready with different instruments (sticks, harmonica's, pots and pan's) but I always had the spoons.
His laugh is infectious. His love of music and dancing is even more infectious. My favourite memory as an adult was watching my Grandma and Grandpa dance together to a Rod Stewart Hits DVD my mom got for Christmas. Or perhaps, my grandpa listening to the radio of a baseball game under his pillow.
There is also the hidden buckets of Neopotian ice cream that he is not supposed to eat. And of course golf balls he re-sells in egg cartons that he has "simply come across in random places".
At any rate, I am excited to go home and "hang with the grandparents" as my brother likes to say...
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