2009 Contemplations

Since one of my daughters said that New Year's "Resolutions" were things that most people don't ever complete, I'll resist using that word.  This past year has had its ups and downs and I've felt quite stressed much of the year.  The last five days have been wonderful insofar as I've really been able to disassociate myself from work.  It's interesting, but this is not altogether a different concept from disassociating during training.  Being able to go to another place and relax is a valuable tool that I have never truly been good at in my daily life.  Now that I'm achieving it in training, why not use it during the day and night?

I went out for coffee with my wife so that I would have an objective sounding board for my thoughts.  She suggested I write them down when I got home, so here I am.  First, there are only so many hours in a day.  I've spent a lot of time over the past twenty five years squeezing as much as possible into 24 hours.  No more.  I need to get my work done during the day and come home and focus on other things such as family, training, relaxing, etc.  I think that I finally have an administrative team assembled at work that will allow me to do this.  When you own your own business, it's hard not to bring work home every night.  But it's not healthy.  I will strive every day to pass on items that others can do.  I know what I have to focus on.  It's "one thing" (see "City Slickers", I love movie examples:)), and that "one thing" is to make sure that the sixty clinicians in our group are delivering the type of care that I can be proud of.  It's also, on a more practical business note, to make sure that they are accounting for what they do so we'll get paid:).  Amazing as this may sound, that doesn't always happen:(.  

I also have to decide what to do with my second business.  This decision will take care of itself in the next couple of months, but no matter what, I can't let it have a significant added impact on my life.  

I need to have some time at lunch.  What I do with this time remains to be seen.  My wife suggested I listen to music.  I might be able to get a swim or run in.  Swimming is always invigorating to me and getting a mid day swim in could have many positive effects on me.

I will continue to keep my lap top off of my lap at night.  No more lap top while watching television.  If I'm going to relax, I'm going to relax!

Get enough sleep!  I need eight hours a day.  I know that if I get less than seven, I'll feel it.  My training routine has made me very sensitive to this.  Ironically, I'm never sure if training less would significantly reduce my sleep needs, but I don't want to find out anyway:)

If I do everything that I've contemplated above, it will be interesting to see how I feel next January (2010).  I really don't want to prejudge my life as it is today based on how this year has been.  Much of the stress this year has been artificially added on to my existing workload.  If I can reduce these added stresses, perhaps I can get back to enjoying every day.  That's not something I've felt for some time.

Finally, I need to set my athletic goals.  The only major goals I had this last year were to break 20 minutes in a 5K run (did that in June), to improve at Boulder Peak (by six minutes:)), and to qualify for Long Course Worlds (did that in October).  I also achieved a first (and probably last) by coming in second overall in an albeit small local triathlon (www.tri4me.org). 

So, here are my 2009 goals.  I want to give my best effort at Long Course Worlds (Perth) in October.  That means coming into the race well prepared to have a great swim!  I want to break 5 hours for a half ironman, either at California 70.3 or Eagleman 70.3.  I'd also like to qualify for the 70.3 World's, which are 3 weeks after Perth.  I think I'd love to say that I qualified for and raced both Long Course and 70.3 in the same year.  I would also like to set another PR for the half-marathon in 3 1/2 weeks (Surf City Half).  Can I go under 1 hour 30 minutes?  We'll see, but no matter what, I know I'll give it a solid effort.  

Happy New Year!