If you're lucky enough to be in the mountains, you are lucky enough.

When something bad happens, you have three choices: let it define you, let it destroy you, or let it strengthen you.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Writing beyond my own blog.

Well, I am in a bind now as I am out of races this Fall, busy with 500 jobs (a slight overestimation), getting ready for a transition my life, and thanks to a podcast with Larisa Dannis about her training (a second podcast by her, as well as some interviews and stories), I purchased a heart rate monitor for the second time in my life (my first, from 2005, is happily dead for as many years back, but I did use it). My idea this time is not to train for speed/hills using HRmax, but train by Maffeton method for a few months. Since I have an added stress/time consumption of attending a 200 hours Yoga Teacher Training beginning January, picking races is nearly impossible (those I still sort of want fall on the weekend I study, those that accessible, I am not even remotely interested in - which reminds me, I am in a total burn-out of finding races I get inspired by), I thought doing Maffetone right now, coming off injury (and almost a year of sporadic non-existent running training, even if my fitness level was kept high and under control) fits into my life's schedule perfectly. Couldn't be better, in fact. So here I go...

In a meantime, Larry is approaching an end of his bathroom remodel so he can start training for his goal race next year, and I had finished one of my longer knitting projects. What does not mean we are going to stop either. :) He's got a list of stuff on our house that is a mile long, and I had purchased a stack of $1 knitting journals on sale, so my ideas are flowing like crazy (and I also need more yarn!)


While at that, I managed to write a couple of articles (Wonderland trail sparked some creativity with trail running regardless what my personal goals are), one of which is already posted on Endurancebuzz.com - an article about goals, and another should go up some time soon - about using trekking poles in hiking and running (they saved my tush at said Wonderland!).

On a delightful note, I got my Russian passport renewed for travel. On a totally shocking note, the very same day my father was diagnosed with stomach cancer. Life is like that - it's like Universe was telling me it's time to go visit. Now it's REALLY time to go visit...and I bought a ticket. As we speak, the kids are doing good - my adult children are actually on a normal track in life for a change, and I hope it stays long this time, and may be, just may be, rolls into a serious "forever" attitude change.

Never give up hope.

And tell those you love and cherish how much you love and cherish them.

What triggers a thought in me how hard it is in our society, day and age to be on either giving or receiving side. I posted something on my FB page to a few people who I feel are important to me - and it was silent for the most part. I think it made them uncomfortable - what, in turn, made me uncomfortable, so the post went down. Are we not supposed to be doing that? I read some story over here, and it really made an impact on me...But why, why can't I tell people they matter to me, and I hope I am their friend for real, not over internet?

But anyway, life goes on. I turned 45 a week ago, and the whole week was filled with attention and kind wishes, and that felt awesome. I miss people's communication a whole bunch, and I hardly have really close people in Austin, just a few - whom I do make an effort to see. But I miss my other friends, and family, and this hamster wheel of life, work, busy schedule, just really needs to slow down...says I, ironically. I keep on planning...it's been a long time planning. Gosh, when is the time to execute??

(but at least I re-signed to a local library, and since it sucks big time, I'd love suggestions what I can order for them to have for me to read! Please help a fellow foreigner out, I've been out of scene for a very long time, and my personal suggestions are all around classic literature, and I read most of it by now!)

"Our anxiety does not come from thinking about the future, but from wanting to control it". Kahlil Gibran.

1 comment:

Will Cooper said...

Wow, Olga, I haven't been by your site in a while. LOVE you are trying Maffetone method. Be patient with it and it will pay big dividends, especially for you who I know is someone who can, well, push yourself little too much sometimes? The best thing about it is you don't have to feel guilty not hammering yourself in workouts. They become quite a different experience (i.e. healthy/enjoyable). BTW...I just finished the Grand Slam in September, and knocked 2.5 hours off the fastest time for 50+ age group using no crew or pacers, while holding a full time job. No injuries along the way. Wouldn't have been possible w/o Maffetone and low carb diet. Also, you might want to give this more than a few months. A year would be better. Remember, during this time, its not about speed, its about building the base that will give you the foundation to develop speed later w/o the injuries. Good luck and let us know how it's going along the way! Will C.