Cindy Present | Get Out Girl

Thursday I was in mile 11/18 on my taper run (every Thursday for the past 6 weeks I have run 20 or more miles). It was about 10:30am and I was on a stretch of road with some shade on the east side. I was running through it, not because of the shade, but because I was trying to be conscious of the camber of the road and run at a different angle than usual.  The road took a slight incline with a shady peak about 200 yards ahead. At the crest of the peak, with the sunlight glistening through the trees, two people were surfacing on the horizon walking toward me. I could tell from the silhouettes that they were two women, one younger and one larger than the other. The younger girl had her arm woven through the others, with her hand gripped to her upper arm. I was immediately inspired by what appeared to be a younger woman encouraging and walking with the older, larger lady. "I should do that more," I thought. Getting someone out that may not be comfortable or confident walking, ei...

...that you really didn't say. It's kind of like the saying that there are three sides to every story...what you said, what I heard you say, and then what you really said. The last five weeks of training for Ironman are like that. Kelly Williamson, coach, friend and pro triathlete, told me while training for my second Ironman that you know you are ready for the event when you are officially "DONE" training. She didn't mean walk in the door after a brick, "Honey, I'm done." She meant DONE. Been there, DONE that, DONE. Nada mas por favor. DONE. I'm DONE. Therefore, I'm ready. DONE getting up at 4:45am, done getting my second workout in by 8:30am. Done riding my trainer at 5am BEFORE heading out for long ride at 7am. DONE. Soft interpretation: READY. VERY ready. But these past couple weeks I've discovered there is another way of knowing you are READY. It is when people say things to you in the most honest, sincere, caring way and you...

These are the weeks every endurance triathlete waits for. The Final Seven. Two more peak periods then taper. The beginning and the end of long, grueling, sweaty, calorie zapping workouts. Multiple mile swims; twenty plus mile runs; and multiple one hundred plus mile bike rides. When those workouts are packaged as bricks or "two-a-days" then you get big three to four thousand calorie burning days. Ironman anyone? What the heck are we thinking? Yesterday I watched about ten minutes of the 2012 Ironman Kona broadcast that re-ran on NBC. I had tried to not turn it on. A friend even texted to see if I was watching it. "Nope," I responded. "Makes me too anxious." He said, "I get it." When I watch it, I can smell it, hear it, and even feel it. I don't feel the grueling parts like keeping my feet moving during the run, but instead I feel the vibe in the air, the pulsating of my heart - and everyone else's - the staggering silence the mornin...

Countdown to Ironman Kona has begun. Thirteen Weeks. That's going to be almost 400 miles of running, 65 swimming, and over 2,200 of cycling (eek! really??) And knowing me, probably about 6.5 yeast infections (sorry, but it's true ;-) And if you're my friend Justyne, and counting, should be about 227,500 calories taken in - minimally! But wait! This isn't about the have to's and must do's - is it?? Well, I just realized for the past 6 weeks it has been, but it shouldn't be. I just got my jolt. It's time to get fired up and ready. For the right reasons. For about 6 weeks I've focused on the first paragraph. What it's going to take, the schedule I'm going to have to create, the juggling I'm going to have to pursue, and the job I'm going to have to do to "get 'er done". That doesn't sound like ANY FUN! Then why the heck am I doing it?!? Because I can. I am able. I will become stronger because of it - mentally an...

On April 15 I was stunned and brought to tears to hear of the Boston bombings - as it had been less than 48 hours that I had aborted my trip to run the marathon. Why? It just didn't 'feel right' to go. There was something that was saying not to go. Then two weeks ago I was stunned again, but in a different way, when I heard one of our friends was for a third time going to have to undergo a stem cell transplant to battle cancer. Why? How? Life was humbling me left and right with things that I had no control over. But what I do have control over is how I use my time. Four years ago Steve and I committed to participate in The Flatwater Foundation's Dam That Cancer event, a 21 mile stand and paddle from Mansfield Dam to Tom Miller Dam on Lake Austin. The event would raise funds to support wellness programs for families and individuals battling cancer. When I heard founder, Mark Garza, tell us how paddleboarding and counseling basically kept his sanity and steadfastn...

The question is a common one, especially from those that know your drive and motivation when it comes to sports and fitness. It usually is asked right after "How are the kids?" "How was your last event?" Then you know it's coming, you know they are going to ask. This is where the emotions come in. You are either giddy with excitement to tell them "what you are training for" or you are dreading the question "what are you training for." Giddy, because you are ready to embark on the training journey that you will travel preparing to peak at the precise time of the event that you want to share with them you have committed to do. Or, dreading, because you have chosen not to put anything on the calendar and will miss that day to day grind of focus, accountability and fortitude it takes to be "training" for something. I am currently in the later shoes. There is nothing on my calendar that I have committed to for the first time in 24 month...