2013 Goals

Hello? Is this thing on? Wow, it seems like I can't keep a regular schedule on this blog. Life gets in the way, and sometimes it is pretty mundane, so I run out of : 1-time and 2- topics. I am trying to do better this year.

A little update on the past 7 months?
I became an Ironman again. Arizona: I love you. I will be back. I can run SO much better than I did. I know it. I feel it. Still debating WHEN.
Kids: they are now 8 and 2 respectively. I love them to pieces, but parenthood is HARD. Lots of great feelings with a dash of frustration for good measure.
Work: same old, same old. Honestly, this is the part that drains me the most and interferes with everything else.
Training: I am slowly getting my fitness back after I took my off season a little too seriously.

2013 came around, and it luckily started off better than 2012 did. Last year we started the year in the ER with the little man having breathing issues. Not the best omen for what was to come. 2013 hasn't been perfect so far, but definitely an improvement over 2012.

Looking to this year as a clean slate I have a number of goals I'd like to achieve. Some of them are racing related, but most of them are life related. Little stepping stones to bettering myself.

- Cook more. I have re-arranged my kitchen, got new appliances and cookbooks. I am ready to make 2013 the year I become good in the kitchen. I have a few "staples" that the family likes, but they become kind of boring. Eating the same foods week in and week out is tiring. And I like trying new things. We had become a little too accustomed to eating out; and I am trying to avoid that as much as possible. Especially during week nights.

-Reduce work stress. This can be done either by moving around in my current company, or finding something new altogether. This might be the hardest of my 2013 goals, but the one I need to accomplish the most.

- Yell less. :-) This is related to the item above. When work stress is high, I lose my temper quickly. Especially around my daughter (this is a hard one to admit and put out in the world). Frustrations run high at homework time.

- Be a better mom & wife, related to the item above as well.

- Make up my mind about further education. Do I want to invest the time and money or not?

- Visit my family in Argentina. I NEED this one to happen, for my emotional sanity. I have been missing them a little too much. I need some momma and daddy love (yes, I am >35 and I miss my mom and dad)

- Get stronger. I want to build muscle and shed fat this year. I want to be lean and mean.

- Step out of my comfort zone. I have already taken the first step and will be doing the Goruck challenge this coming March.

- Make significant improvements to my swimming. This is still my weak "link" in triathlon.

- Get my power to weight ratio above 3. For those of you that train/race with power this will sound familiar. I consider myself a good cyclist. It is my "thing" during tris. I can push and hurt on the bike much more than I can while I swim and run.

- Re-learn to hurt on the run. When things get hard I chicken out. I want to push through that barrier and own each running race.

- Share more. I have become very introverted and closed in. It is time to step out & open up.

Pretty comprehensive list, huh? It will be good to get back to this post regularly and do a status check.

To say that I am scared is an understatement. When I think about everything that went on in 2012 and how I felt like I struggled the whole way through it, I am not sure I can take another year like that. I am ready for a little break. But aren't we all?