Whatever will get you to the finish line...

We all have goals. For some of us (ME!!) goals are the thing that keep us focused and motivated on the rough days. I have learned over the years that without some kind of solid, tangible goal - my motivation to work hard can stray - badly....

So my struggle of late has been with my weight and while I know how to successfully "lose" weight, my big challenges come in maintaining the loss over the long term. So I find myself, now, having bounced back up the scale a bit since my Ironman training has ended.

Since this season, I'm not doing any race distance that "scare me" (another great motivator - fear of not finishing) - I am finding it hard to keep myself motivated to stick to a clean, healthy diet and drop this extra weight so I can race in the best shape possible.

I need a BIG GOAL - Something tangible that I *want*; something that I can cling too when the times get rough. I realized my BIG GOAL this weekend as I was driving home from the Team Z Bike Ride. I want a NEW BIKE.

And not just any old "NEW BIKE" - I want a genuine TRI BIKE!

Now you may ask: "You've trained for Ironman, why don't you already have a TRI BIKE?"

Well I am of the opinion that:

A.) TRI BIKES require BIKE HANDLING SKILLS and I refused to by a TRI BIKE until I was very confident in my own bike skills. After 11 years on a road bike, I am pretty assured of my skills as a cyclist. I am confident in my ability to climb, descend and hold my line at any speed and my husband (even when he was just my boyfriend) never has any issues riding with me - and he has 25+ years of riding/racing experience - so I know my riding skills are solid.

B.) I REFUSED TO BUY A NEW FAST BIKE when I know that I can be *faster* on my own bike if I just lose some weight!

Now before you lecture me, I know that OPINION #B is a "self-imposed" limiter - sort of - but if you do some reading on more expensive bikes - a lot of the equipment is "weight-rated" to under 190-200 pounds (like saddles and pedals) - and truth be known, I would be humiliated if I ever found out that my equipment failed because my *butt* was too big!

So while looking for that "Deeper Level of Motivation" for this season's goals - I realized that a NEW TRI BIKE was a perfect motivation tool!

So my primary goal and focus for the next 5 months:

SEPTEMBER 30, 2010 GOAL:

40 POUNDS LOST = QUINTANA ROO DULCE with CUSTOM PAINTED FRAME!

(The custom frame is because I *love* the CAMO paint job on the 2010 Quintnan Roo Dulce however, I really am not big into PINK and would much rather have PURPLE CAMO on my wonderful new TRI bike - so if I am going to work hard to earn my bike, I am going to have my new bike MY WAY! Seems reasonable to me!)

So through the magical powers of Adobe PhotoShop:

BEHOLD My Custom Paint Scheme!

Some of you may scoff and say, "Yeah well what is to keep you from bouncing back up the scales when the 2010 Season is over?"

Great Question! You see, I actually have already met with and hired a Nutrutionist and it will be "our job" together to get me to my goal weight in a healthy time frame AND then help me learn how to successfully maintain the overall weight loss long term.

You see, I have kept about 80 pounds off for the last 10 years. I used to weight 299 pounds at my heaviest back in 1998. It is the last 50 or so pounds (that I have always tried to lose) that I can't seem to get off and keep off. So I am pulling in all the help and resources I can to make this a successful long-term venture but even with my past successes....

WITHOUT A BIG GOAL to help me on the HARD DAYS, I am easily distracted.

Enter PURPLE CAMO DULCE: A Gift to Me in September for reaching 40 pounds lost AND a great way to toe the line at Beach2Battleship Half Ironman in November!

Life is GOOD! Keeping my GOALS in sight!

BIG SISTER BRAGGING!

Proud as a PEACOCK for my sister Heather

who finished her FIRST TRIATHLON

by finishing SECOND in her AGE GROUP! (24-29)

WAY TO GO HEATHER!

You can read her race report in her own words: HERE

(Thanks to Heather and Rich-in-Law for sharing the photos!)

PRE-RACE: Heather sets up her first transition...

POST-RACE: Just after crossing the finish line!

NICE JOB HEATHER!

2nd Place: AG 24-29!

Ebbs and Flows...

My dear Blog friends:

How are you? All doing well and Living STRONG, I hope! Things here on my end of the cyber-sphere are good. I have not been posting but that is because I have been Swimming, Biking, Running, Working and Volunteering a lot these days.

Blogging (as you already know...) has fallen by the wayside. Oh yes, I confess, I have time to post a little something to my FACEBOOK wall almost daily but random thoughts are much easier to do than writing a blog post. At least, that is how I have felt about it these days.

I have come to learn that my blogging "ebbs and flows" like the tide. Frequency varies based on race reports and big life changes. After all, I started this blog when I was diagnosed with Cancer back in 2005 as a way to keep my friends and family updated and a way to keep my sanity in check. In fact, this blog started in April 2005 so I have a "Blog-o-versary" coming up.

More importantly, my first WEDDING ANNIVERSARY is coming up this weekend! I have a hard time believing how quickly the last 12 months flew by. This time, last year, I was running all sorts of wedding errands and my entire family had just arrived in Jackson, MS for the wedding weekend. My how time flies...

The SPRING 2010 CANCER to 5K program is going well. With a full team of 15 runners - both local and "out-of-state" - things are very busy! We recently had a great fundraiser event "COLORS OF EMOTIONS" and the show is still on display through the month of April. If your local, you should come by and see it.

If you want to make a donation to the CANCER to 5K program, you can DONATE HERE. All money raised through my Team FIGHT Page goes directly to CANCER to 5K!

Training with TEAM Z is underway! My goals keep changing somewhat. I have learned that for me BIG GOALS are a great motivator when it comes to working out regularly. Unfortunately a Half Ironman in the Fall doesn't scare me so it is taking more effort to not skip workouts. So I set a NEW GOAL for myself and am focusing on an OLD GOAL again.

NEW GOAL: To move up 2 lanes in Team Z Swim Practice by the end of the 2010 season

OLD GOAL - REVISITED: To reach my overall goal weight by losing 65 pounds.

Both the NEW GOAL and the OLD GOAL will be very effective in keeping my training *on target* because in order to move up 2 lanes in the pool, I need to keep swimming AND in order to lose those last 65 pounds, I need to be consistent in my training/workout and focus on continuing to "eat cleaner." (yet another goal that I set for myself early in 2010)

Ebbs and Flows....Old and New...Funny how it all comes back around.

I'm not gone - just blogging less and posting more on DAILY MILE and FACEBOOK but with the TRI season just around the corner for me (my first race is Kinetic Sprint on May 8th) - the race reports are on their way...

Hope you are all having a good SPRING and enjoying all that life has to offer you. Time moves so quickly, don't let it pass without taking time to do what you love and tell those you care about that you love them!

Life IS GOOD! Keep Living STRONG!