I always wait just long enough...

for all my followers to get really bored before making a new post.





Recap of the last month:


- Honeymoon in Hawaii was fun

- Going back to work was less fun

Picture of me pondering what it would be like to be in Ironman World Championships in Kona. I'm standing at the start line.

I eat old soap

Sometimes, I feel like people view me like this consultant. Especially when I'm consulting at a customer site and they show me this cartoon...

Fall down 7 times, get up 8 times

I'm back and ready to start kicking some ass again.



Figuratively!



It's like the sun poking out from behind the clouds. Light is shining on me again.



I'm feeling good and looking forward to running the half marathon in May. I starting off the year the right way and sticking to my running plan so far. While I would like to break my record of 2:17, I may have to save that for next time. I will be very happy with a time under 2:30 at this point. I have run approximately eight half marathons (let me check the number of race shirts in my closet) but the last time I ran one was May 2008. After Ironman, I have done almost nothing, race-wise. While I don't plan on getting into long-distance triathlons any time soon, I do want to run a half marathon this year! It's a long enough distance that you can't really fake it but not so long that the training takes up all your free time.



My training plan consists of running several times per week to start. After we get back from Hawaii, I will add hot yoga and biking into the mix for flexibility and additional conditioning. A slow and steady distance increase, combined with cross-training, will help to reduce the chances of injury.



I'm happy to be running again.



I'll be even happier when it's golf season again. :)

So many goals, so little time...

Am I trying to do too much at once or is it possible to accomplish many things at the same time?

I have many plans. I am an expert at writing things into my appointment book. The trouble comes when I need to take action.

Why do I keep expecting the future-me to be less of a procrastinator than present-me? Is something magical going to happen between now and and when the next item on my calendar pops up?

It's almost like once it's on my calendar, I can ignore it. Heck, I already dealt with the issue/study plan/workout schedule/appointment by putting it on my calendar in the first place, right?

Perhaps my planning is not specific, measurable, attainable, realistically high, or time parametered enough? (10 points to whoever gets that one.)

Maybe I'm not the 'good' planner that I think I am. My planning consists of writing things on my calendar like 'run' or 'study' into certain time slots during the week. My phone alerts me to these events, but I still ignore them! Vague planning = deadly inaction when it comes to execute the plan?

I love running

but I still didn't get up early enough to go for a run before work today.

I blame the dog.

Facing reality?

Well, I've been making excuses for my lack of focus, scattered home life and lack of working out, etc. I've been using my (and Rich's) hectic travel schedules as a big excuse for why I'm not accomplishing the things I want to do.

Well, guess what!? Another work trip is in the process of being booked.

So, I can either keep on making excuses and keep on treading water and not getting anything done, or I can just accept that I'll be racking a lot more frequent flier miles for the foreseeable future. You can make all the plans you want for the ideal situation but if you're never home, you have to come up with another plan sometimes!

Ready, Aim, Aim, Aim...

A lack of focus won't help you get very far.

Ever have so many things on your to-do list or your want-to-do list that you just can't get started? Your focus split in so many directions that you get nothing done? That's how I feel right now. My only to-dos are work, study, workout, and occasionally hose myself off.

I can't decide if it would be better to workout before work and start work a little later or start early so that I can finish early and get many things done in the evening. So far, I haven't really been doing either. I get up early, wander around for a while (usually get sucked into the time vampire aka the Internet), eat breakfast and then go to work. Then, after work, I sit on the computer again to "unwind", which just leads to more time suck and then, next thing I know, I'm wasted all my workout time and soon will be bleeding away my study time too. Eat supper, get on the computer again (I don't know how this keeps happening!) and before I know it, there's maybe an hour left for studying before it's time to go to sleep.

Part of the problem is that my school work is all long distance and online. I find it very hard to study off of a computer after being on it for 8 hours for work and then several more hours of websurfing. It's so easy to open another website and then another because it's far more interesting than the subject at hand. In fact, right now, by writing this post, I am still procrastinating!

Should try to study = no studying is going to happen because I resent the fact that I "have" to do this uninteresting activity.

Want to study = is a lie I tell myself.

Plan to study (it's even on the schedule) = lies I tell to others and myself.

Want to pass the course and finish CGA = the truth at last but difficult to achieve without putting in the time.

So close to being done. AARRRRRGGGGG!!!