Unexpected Treasures

Today was one of those days that started early and ended late, scheduled tightly all day.  That always brings some stress in figuring out how to get it all done, and executing the plan.  In the end, the day brought some pleasant surprises....

1 - Had to drive from Boulder to Laramie (about 2 & 1/2 hours) and back (another 2 & 1/2 hours), leaving the house this morning at 6am.  That meant the alarm went off at 4:30.  I was flashing back to a few years ago when I worked at Air Academy High School and often got up at 3 or 4 to get in an hour or two of Ironman training on an indoor bike trainer before arriving at school at 7am....good times (not).  Meeting in Laramie at the University went well - but the unexpected treat was the beautiful scenery on highway 287 between Fort Collins and Laramie.  I've driven this stretch in the winter where it's often snowy/icy/windy and often cloudy and foggy...not a fun drive.  But in the summer, the scenery is incredible...lush green hills and valleys, beautiful rock canyons, lots of wildlife to see and smooth winding roads that allow you to really appreciate the Ultimate Driving Machine. :-)   Stunning everywhere you look.

2 - Back home at 3:45, thinking about the bike ride on the schedule that I needed to get done.  It was 80 degrees with minimal wind, and for the first time this year, I went out in a sleeveless jersey and NO gloves.  How liberating and free it felt to ride unencumbered by layers of clothing!  The sun felt great on my skin, and it was like I got reacquainted with my bike just 'cause I was closer to it and to nature by not being all wrapped up in clothes.  What a great day to be outdoors and moving.  Happiness again.

3 - The last training assignment of the day was a short (1500m) swim.   Grabbed some food and sat down for a half hour, catching up on emails from earlier in the day - before I know it the clock reads 7pm...getting late and I"m getting tired.  I remembered that the outdoor pool at Flatiron Athletic Club is open in the summer til 9pm...a quick phone call confirmed that those hours were now in effect.   I'm a big baby about swimming outdoors in the winter - even though the water is heated, I do get cold out there.  I'm a bigger baby about swimming in cold open water, but that's a story for another day.  So off I go to FAC and starting my swim around 8:00.  About 10 minutes into it I look up and notice that I'm swimming under a beautiful Colorado sunset.  The sky was streaked with pink, purple and orange, and the air was still and warm.  For the last 30 minutes I was out there, I had the pool completely to myself.  The stroke came easy to me (it doesn't always) and it was easy to calm my mind & just let the body move.  Definitely some good vibrations out there tonight.

Turns out it was a great day - reminds me that my expectations might be coloring my outcomes more than I realize.  If I expect good things all the time instead of sometimes meeting my day or individual tasks with negative anticipation - it might well be that there are many unexpected treasures awaiting.  Reminds me to keep my mind and my heart open - you never know where the journey will take you next.

Getting Creative with Technology

I was all psyched and ready to tackle my long run last Wednesday, and planned to go out at near midday to try to get in some training in the warmest temperatures of the day/week.  After all, it's hot in Lubbock where I'll be racing in June, and not so much in Boulder in May.    A conference call with my boss and colleagues was also on the calendar for the day but I had PLENTY of time to get the 2 & 1/2 hour run in, then re-group and re-fuel for an hour & 1/2 before the call.

A quick check of my email before going out the door brought bad news.  The conference call had been moved UP by a few hours, meaning I wouldn't have time to start and finish the run before kickoff time.  Quick...what would Chrissie do?   Couldn't chance doing the run later as thunderstorms were forecasted for  the afternoon, plus nutritional & digestive issues would be at stake if I ate lunch first, and worse ones if I didn't eat lunch first.

Then it came to me...cell phone...speaker...mute button.  So at 1:45 into the run it was time for the call, so I stopped running, dialed up the number and jumped into conversation just as if I was sitting happily at my desk.  Kept on walking for a few minutes before the meat of the content was presented - at that point, I put the phone on speaker, activated the mute button and took off for the rest of the run.  The call continued another 20 minutes or so, and I slowed to interject a few times just to show I was still there. :-)

When I got home I emailed one of my colleagues and had him email me notes from the meeting, so didn't miss a thing.  Technology.  It's a beautiful thing.

Warm & Happy in Jamaica

Dropped offline for awhile for vacation but it's time to step into real life again.

There's something very renewing about going somewhere far away - the distance you travel seems to help create a buffer from everyday stresses, pressures and worries.  Jamaica was awesome and it was mentally renewing & wonderful doing a lot of nothing.  85 degrees and sunshine, swimming and snorkeling and playing in warm ocean waters, stepping away from email, computer and phones - and spending carefree fun days and nights celebrating 25 years with Warren.  It was so great. :-)

Boulder is a great place to come home to, and we could really see that things had "greened up" in the past 10 days. A little more snow on the way later this week...augh!  But summer can't be far away.  I'm so over winter.