You get me and Hallie, that's what...
In some of my blog posts, I've mentioned from time to time my friend Hallie Blunck... I met Hallie a few years back at Mountain Lakes and seemed to hit it off with her from the start... So when she called me up a few months back and asked if she could crash on my couch during her internship here in Ttown, I of course had open arms... I enjoy when people come to visit- it helps break up the monotony of living alone and not having much to do...
I'll save you, dear reader, the mundane details of the day to day living with another person-- I think she and I both had some adjusting to do, but we managed-- What I will try to do however, is impart to you what I think I learned through Hallie's time here...
First, I learned that if I want to be committed to triathlon and a healthy lifestyle, I've got to make more sacrifices than I'm currently making... For the last two weeks, I barely missed a workout, and felt probably the best I've felt in months... I guess it caught up to me, because I managed to weaken the ol' immune system enough to catch a bug this past weekend and have been sidelined since...
But here's what I mean: Hallie was routinely up early... I mean earrrrrly, sometimes as early as 4 or 4:30 am just to get her ride in... then after work, she'd go swim at 7:30 so as to get in the big pool at the Aquatics Center... home for a late dinner, then off to bed to do it all over again the next day... I grew to have an immense respect for her drive-- she loves what she does and if you're around her (or someone like her) enough, you can't help but catch the same fever... I found myself wanting to not skip workouts, and on more than once occasion, did said workout so as to avoid any guilty feelings on my part, because Hallie would be crushing a bike workout when it was time for me to go run...
Despite having crazy busy schedules, I've realized that it's NOT impossible to train-- you've just got to want it bad enough... For me, right now, I want it bad enough, but moreso for the health/weight loss aspects... I put on quite a bit of weight last fall from the combination of zero training and emotional/stress eating and drinking... I'm in a much better place now and know that with regards to school, there's a light at the end of the tunnel... Likewise with my health, I've made some steps towards recovery by enlisting the help of people who know more than I do, namely my friend Deb Dunn, whom I have recruited to be my sports nutritionist...
Second, I learned that in order for me to really enjoy what I do, I've got to continue to be a student of the sport (and lifestyle)... This idea stemmed from one of the last dinners that Hallie and I had while she was in Ttown... She admitted that she hadn't really been a student of the sport as of late, and really, hadn't ever really had to be a student, because of her exposure to the sport at such a young age...
What this sparked in me was a stronger desire to understand and learn about triathlon and the lifestyle associated with it... That's one of the reasons I've recruited a nutritionist to my corner-- I've got to get a handle on the food issue, as I feel it is one of the sole reasons I am not progressing with weight loss and subsequently, any speed within triathlon...
I've started using a calorie tracker app called "Lose It!" on the iPhone to help track and manage my food intake... I can honestly say that I've been a little OCD about using this app over the last month, meticulously recording every morsel of food that goes into my body, with only a few minor exceptions ;) What I've come to realize is that when I wasn't training, I was taking in WAY too many calories... no wonder I packed on the pounds... I've also had a new BodPod assessment done, as well as a 3 site pinch test done so I have baseline measurements to start off 2012 with...
I'm also committed to learning more about my engine-- about how best my body responds to what it's being put through... I feel like last year, I got an "invitation" to learn about what my body was telling me during EVERY SINGLE WORKOUT, when I'd inevitably puke or cramp during long bikes or long runs, or during every race... Guess I never RSVP'd for that invitation...
To me, learning through failure is inevitable, and equally important to learning through success... in fact, it's probably more important, since for me personally, I always choose to learn the hard way... I need to be more honest with my coach, Kendrick, and how my body is responding to training... last year, I'd either skimp on workouts, or bag them altogether, then fudge the numbers or stretch the truth when reporting how I was holding it together... So, honesty is a big issue for me during this year-- If I'm feeling it, I need to express it... if I'm not, I need to express that too...
Next, I learned that I need to honestly love what I'm doing in order to stay sane... Be it school, training, or to a much lesser extent, music, I've got to keep things in perspective and keep the fun in it... Hallie and I talked about this a great length during her stay, about how we both enjoy the things we do, from school to training, but that if we had it our way, neither of us would actually work, we'd just train, race, and drink good beer... I've been tested lately with the dissertation, because I feel like I'm not loving what I'm doing anymore-- I guess that's normal after spending so much time on one thing-- and I guess that's why I threw myself back into training when I got back to school... Maybe I'm passive aggressively putting off working on my dissertation... well, yeah, I totally am... I've made some progress since returning to school, but at this point, have made peace with the prospect that I may have to defend in April...
Hallie loves what she does, and it shows... she loves the act of being active, of sweating, of having that catharsis that only exercise can bring... I, more than anything, want to get back to that mental/emotional place that I was at when I was just starting out-- when everything was fresh and new and exciting... Like when I was training for Mercedes for the first time and would be on a runner's high for hours after hitting my first double digit run, or during my first triathlon season where I had an absolute killer instinct and wanted to just CRUSH everything at any expense... It's time to restore the luster on the diamond, but unfortunately, I'm not quite sure how I need to go about it... This learning point will probably be the toughest to figure out this year...
Finally, I learned, or really, was reminded, that I need to support those around me (and support those who support me)... I'm honored that I can be a part of Team Hallie as she makes her debut on the pro circuit this year, even if it's only by making suggestions on good music to listen to while suffering on the trainer, or how to schmooze a potential sponsor into giving you free shit... But this goes beyond just Hallie-- I have other friends who are training for races, like my friend Mary Stephens who is training for Ironman Florida.... or my fraternity brothers Blane and Grey who are training for their first marathon... or even several of my friends who are training for their first 5k... I've got to be there for those people like others where there for me during my "firsts"... I know I certainly couldn't have gotten to where I am now without the encouraging words of so many over the last two years...
I'm excited for Hallie to bust onto the pro circuit this year, or as I like to call it, "curb stomp" the triathlon world in 2012... I'm probably more excited to say that she's one of my close friends and is definitely on Team Dave...
Look for Hallie Blunck on a podium near you in 2012...
Thanks for reading...
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