Sometimes you need to get lost to find yourself

Wow.  It has been a really, really long time since I have updated this blog.  Moving to Winona, starting a new job, coaching, training, and other life stuff has gotten in the way.  Such is life I guess.  I am not complaining because this new job has led me to meet plenty of new, awesome people, and these last few months have brought on changes that have helped me to grow in so many ways.



This is a lake I get to run around in
Winona

Some new things that have occurred in the past few months:

1. I took a new job a moved to Winona.
2. Started coaching both the men's and women's soccer teams at Saint Mary's University.
3. Raced a few times: Oak Brook Half Marathon, YMCA Lacrosse Half Marathon, UWW Sprint triathlon, Viterbo Days 5K, Fall Frolic 5K.

4. I hired a triathlon coach, Liz Waterstraat(she is awesome!)

That is pretty much the fun stuff anyways.

However, the purpose of this blog post is to talk about the transition that my life has made since I have moved.  In regards to triathlon training, I was in a complete "RUT" at the end of August/early September.  I was training harder than ever, logging more miles, than I ever had in every sport and was making absolutely no improvement.

I ran the first half marathon over Labor Day weekend, in Oakbrook, and although I had a PR, it was still not as fast as what I was hoping and I felt overly fatigued afterwards.  I got right back into heavy training, thinking that I still was not doing enough.  I was killing myself every workout and still seeing nothing.

It was at this point that I was beginning to lose motivation fearing that I would not live up to my best
every time out.  By sheer luck, I was reading through blogs on the internet and came across one on listoftriathlonblogs.com by Liz Waterstraat.  She spoke of this same fear.  Fear of not doing enough, fear of not being able to perform, Fears in general.  She spoke of how having these fears makes you stronger.  She spoke of how she overcame it and had one of the best seasons of her life as a triathlete. 

I decided to reach out to her.  I thanked her for the post because it helped me a lot to know other were going through the same fears.  I also found out that she was a coach through the process and decided to hire my first coach in the sport.  Let me tell you, it is not hard to pick a coach when the one you are looking at is one who is a mother of 3 I think, can still swim laps around you in a pool, out bike you, and still beat you in a sprint tri.

Since hiring a new coach, I have already set a new half marathon, sprint tri(day after the half marathon), 5K, and multiple swim PR's.  I have learned the process and importance of recovery.  I have also learned how to workout slow.  And that I do not need to set a PR every workout.

This is where the title of this blog comes into play.  I was lost, not improving, losing motivation, and not happy.  However, now I am found.  I have direction, desire, and renewed love for all three sports.

 

I was on a run the other day where I was told to go out and run for 70 minutes.  No GPS, just "enjoy running."  Believe me, it is possible to actually do this.  I was running and decided early in the run that it would go by faster if I went some areas that I had never been before, and get lost a little.  This is not something that I would recommend to people that live in or around bad areas, but I live in Winona.  It was great to just run.  I ran around a lake.  I ran through a golf course(Hole 7, I think).  I ran on a prairie path.  I ran on a desolate road.  I ran everywhere.  I got lost.  Twice.  However, eventually I started making my way back to the direction I knew I needed to go.  I found the road that led to my house and ran home.



I reached the front step and looked at my watch.  67 minutes.  Close enough for me.  I walked inside and sat down and reflected on how awesome that felt.

It has been a hard transition these last few months, moving to a new place, moving away from all the people I know and love.  I got lost, but with a little help and a lot of reflection, I was able to find myself again.

Life is good.