Smile, because you have today OR So what, I skipped a day

Post #: 11
Weeks of training complete: 14 weeks, 1 days
Time until Ironman: 17 weeks, 6 days
Miles swam: 51.836
Miles biked: 707.78
Miles run: 198.5

Goal: $5,000
Total money raised: $570

The period since Heidi and I returned from our week vacation (i.e. the week of getting stuff done around the house) has been trying. Life throws things out you in phases – and as last week progressed, it got harder as the days passed. Finding time to work out – around increasing scheduling conflicts and unforeseen obstacles was not easy. I swam at 8:45 p.m., ran at lunch time, rode the bike after the kids went to bed.

But Sunday, I simply decided to skip my workout - told myself I'd make it up today, on my typical workout-off day. So I went to the gym at 4:30 p.m., with just enough time to get my run in before I had to pick up the kids from school - and then in the middle of getting dressed I realized I had brought two left shoes with me. I took it as a sign - the world was telling me to take a day off. So I did.

Came home, cracked open a beer, and decided to pen this quick blog before I'm off to run a few chores.

I can't get into much of the stuff that's been thrown our way - this isn't the appropriate venue - but working out and continuing to make the right choices and meeting our responsibilities has made things easier to cope with. You should know that we are fine, and our family is fine - we were just thrown a curve ball we weren't anticipating. In some ways, honestly, I enjoy the challenges of life so much, it's almost kind of exciting - having a new problem to potentially solve.

A friend of Heidi and mine once told me my most endearing or unique quality was that I'm an eternal optimist - always seeing the upside in a sea of down ... Maybe there's some truth to that - on my good days.

Hope you're all well,
Ed