Sunday Ramblings

I have a love and hate relationship with my work

Mostly I love my job

But the last few weeks, nah month ++  my work has really bitten my ass ... and I hate the fact my work has got really in the way of my life, for too many weeks now. I accept all jobs get a little nuts but I'm over it now... which is timed right as I think I see the light!!

I did Outlaw half on 1st June then, that week I traveled to Holland for a couple of days and was really ill for most of the week (bad water at the triathlon I think). The next week it was Stockholm, Oslo and Copenhagen. The week after back to Holland... then we hit the nutty two weeks of quarter end followed immediately by half year planning. I feel like I've been doing an Ironman work wise for 6 weeks and frankly it has beaten me up. My exercise regime has gone to pot which doesn't help. We all know sitting at a desk and staring down a computer is not great for you - especially when they seem to be 10hours of staring at a time. BUT STILL .... like an ironman you keep moving forward and you finally reach the end (or you just blow up in an emotional heap... I've been close to that too)... I now however see the light at the end of the tunnel, we probably have one more week of very hard labour before it just becomes more reasonable rather then completely nuts!.. So it is time I start to think of myself again.... and my health, my diet and my exercise, getting some balance back and spending more time at home (rather then treating it as a temporary shelter).

During my reboot day yesterday (so determined in our house when you need to fully recharge batteries - commit to doing nothing in a reboot day, perhaps getting as far as the kitchen to make a cup of tea)... anyway during an awake moment yesterday I thought about a bucket list of sporting things I still want to do. The one thing I am still unsure of is my desire to do another full distance triathlon. I can't work it out. Part of me wants to give it another bash but part of is not so sure. It's not just the training commitment which I'm doubting but more my ability to put in the training required in my job. And as I love my job (most of the time) I'm not sure how this quandary can or will be reconciled.

I really enjoyed my half distance at Outlaw half - well enjoyed until I did the run anyhow. I kind of started training for this in December but only consistently hit my training sessions once we were back from holiday in March. I was really pleased with my swim and bike in the race.... I was not so pleased with my run, part of which was down to lack of form but the most part was down to an unbelievably upset tummy. Spending about 10mins in total in the portaloos on a hot day was not a great experience!! ... Given how much walking (and sitting) I did do on the run the good thing to come of it was my legs weren't too badly beaten up!! Whilst it was a PW half marathon is wasn't a personal worst on this distance, thankfully due to the relatively flat bike course!!

I'm not too sure right now what I want to try my hand at the rest of this summer. There is a half marathon in Suffolk (coastal trail series) which I will target for the end of October. Triathlon wise I should find another race - there is in fact a sprint next week I'm eyeballing... oh and I've entered a little 10k at the start of August... Hummm

So maybe next year at least I will look at doing one or two half distance races. One relatively local and lower key and maybe another which is a bigger event. I think I want to have a crack at the Magnificat Sportive again next year; I've missed the last few years and I've done it twice and it is a really fantastic and pretty route. I should really

The most important occasion for next year though is my better half's significant birthday celebrations. So whatever my short term goals for next season are they have to fit in around this!! Family is more important then any one race!

More to think about I think.. The immediate future though revolves getting back into a healthoer regime... starting off ok ok ending off with an evening meal of burger and chips tonight... healthy regimes are always good to start on a Monday aren't they!