Sport

5ccf4f951b38e
oleksandr_tereshchuk

Half Moon Bay Olympic TRI – Strategy & Post Race

RACE STRATEGY

Coming out of sickness.

NUTRITION

In my case – nutrition is super important. Two days prior to the race – lots of clean carbs. Ideally complex carbs. Start the race with some food in the stomach. Half-full. I’ll have pasta, maybe some dried fruit like dates or cranberries. No fat. No meat. No fiber.

Carbs During:
Minimum 80g /hour
Maximum 120g /hour

SWIM

The swim is going to be in very cold water: 58 Fahrenheit (14 Celsius). I’m concerned about getting a “brain freeze”. That happened before, in Toronto open water race, when I almost lost consciousness in the water. Not a very pleasant experience. Couldn’t find a neoprene cap on site. Will wear two regular swim caps + earplugs.

Swim’s leg is very important in this race. The goal is to get out of water in a group of leaders – top three/five. 

The swim starts IN the water, so no running off the beach. I will go very hard the first couple of hundreds and find some “fast feet” to follow. I will break out from the crowd, catch up with top swimmers and hold on to their feet for the whole duration. I will not hold myself back and go ham on the swim part. Never done before, I will practice dragging in swimming.

No waves. Wet suit swim. Sitting on the front feet, I expect to average under 1:28 /100m. If I can do the swim in 20 minutes – that’s 1:20 /100m – that would be an incredible performance.

BIKE

Quick transition, as always. First two-five kilometres – 80% effort ~240W. Warm up, and come back to your senses after the swim. Have a gel. Then open up a throttle to hit ~280-300W. The goal is to average ~270W for the whole duration of the bike.

The course is very flat and windy, on a way back. Going there, I could average 43+ km/h. On a way back, with strong wind, maybe around 35-38 km/h. I will use every opportunity to hide from the wind and shave off a couple of seconds. The bike leg will be very fast. I expect to complete it in under one hour. Anything under 55 minutes is awesome.

Will have 5-6 gels, which means approximately 120g of carbs. One gel every 10 minutes.

I could use a fuelling tactic, that most pro’ athletes use: mix all gels in the water bottle and have 1/1.5 gulps every 15-20 minutes. In this case, absorption is improved.

RUN

Quick transition. Take it easy for the first 2 km – 80% effort. Don’t smash it! Pace would be ~4:10-4:20.

The recommendation is to maintain the pace, however, if I feel good, I feel free to complete the second part faster – 4:00 or under. Anything under 40 minutes will be considered fantastic. 

POST RACE

Super cold race. The swimming part was an absolute mess. About 60 people in my age group started together. I don’t remember wrestling in water to be so bad. Several times I got hit in the head so bad that I saw stars. Could do a proper stroke because every time my hand would go in the water, there would be someone’s leg or ass. On top of it, the water was just ice cold and dirty. Couldn’t see anything. Bottom line – I didn’t enjoy the swim part. I did not get to swim to my potential. I think that the swim was poorly organized and chaotic. Complete fail.

BIKE

Coming out of the water with enough frustration and anger I felt as if I could rip those pedals off the bike. I felt great and went straight to work. In the first half, I did about 85% effort, riding solo and being careful with the traffic and other athletes. The second half and three gels down, I opened up the throttle and went harder. Nose to nose competition with a guy from the Stanford University team made it more fun. We passed each other two-three times, after which I realized that it is more efficient to stay on his tail, rather than flex my muscles and pass him once again. I followed him, within the drafting rules, for about 5 km until the transition zone. We dismounted at the same time and I told him “good work”. Fast transition – under two minutes.

RUN

I and the same guy left transition and went to the run. His pace was 4 min/km, which was fine by me until it wasn’t. Two spasms in my abdomen forced me to slow down, however, I was able to maintain a 4:10 min pace. Haven’t had any water or food on the run. Finished with a strong sprint against another Stanford team guy. I didn’t let him beat me.

Swim – fail.
Bike – good.
Run – good.

6th in my age group out of 58 guys. Not very satisfied because I didn’t get a chance to race to my potential. However, I know what to work on and keep my head up. I know I can do it.

08DA1577-C9F3-4B26-ACAA-176515F47AAE
oleksandr_tereshchuk
,

100/30

I am alive. I am fit. I am healthy. I am in a good state of mind. I am 30.
I have love. I have faith. I have a purpose. I am 30.

To make this birthday memorable – I ran 100 KM. I ran for 13 hours, from sunrise to sunset. A celebration of youth. A celebration of health.

I set a goal that scared me. Anxiety was holding me by my arms. It felt like a numbness from my fingers up to the elbows.

Why run?

Because I can. Because I never did it before. To change the trajectory of my life, whatever it takes. I want to change. I want to become someone different. Someone I could enjoy living with. I want to move into a new world.

08DA1577-C9F3-4B26-ACAA-176515F47AAE
5AC21C25-7F16-4E2A-8B04-F117B3394254
C5688FE2-3978-4D97-A280-3D314FED09B0
386D30B2-377B-44CD-AD80-20FF76D683E1

The first 50 km were relatively easy. Minor pains and indigestion. Everything beyond that – was uncharted territory for me. The pain grew. Pain killers did not make a difference. I was hurting.

The most challenging part of the run was the hill. Elevation gain of 1,200 m (3,937 ft) in 10 km. It took me three hours to climb that hill. And that’s after having run 60 km. The last hour of the climb went with no food or water. It was very challenging.

Meeting my friend at the top gave me an extra strength to continue. Cailan brought water and gels. Hallelujah. I came back to life.

I was about 30 km away from the finish when I separated from my friend and went down the trail. The plan was for him to drive downhill and ride his bike back up to meet me in about an hour. It didn’t go as planned and we met only 4 hours later. I got lost in the woods.

DB7DAC7D-CCE1-48F1-A830-F14C56F1E191
12345A1E-BAF3-47EE-9C76-32E9AF4A8F34

At the 90 km mark, I realized that taking the trail was a mistake. It led me nowhere. My phone was almost dead with about 5% battery left. It was getting dark and cold. I had left about two sips of water and two gels.

I attempted to call my friend but couldn’t reach him – no service on his end. I texted him my GPS coordinates and went off the trail, looking for a road. I was very tired. My lips dried out. No water. I was preparing to spend the night in the woods.

A long story short I found my way out. I was very happy to step back on the pavement. I made it! I was upbeat and cheerful. I was singing songs and laughing. What a day it was!

62C9632B-4723-4358-9936-DFAF8738617F
1DFEEBFF-190A-47BD-B17B-4F2221FC592E
66F33050-32C4-482B-B6D7-E573578C2531
7CA838DE-1E33-45FD-A991-4ACF920138CA
6702D407-3CF8-41CB-A51D-2539CC6B4344
BCBD20D8-2245-4DDF-A0B4-683A4AA43591

Piece by piece I build self-respect. I ran 100 km from Vernon to Penticton. I got lost in the forest and found my way out. I did many hard things in life, which thought me this: I CAN DO ANYTHING THAT I PUT MY MIND TO. I now truly believe that. Self-confidence is acquired and it is not something that you can be born with. I’ve built mine by doing the things that scared me. Repeatedly overcoming hard things build self-esteem and shows you that you are capable of more than you previously thought.

I continue setting goals for myself. I attempt difficult tasks. I am not often successful, but it doesn’t matter. I have balls to try. I burn out and fail. I cry and have depressive episodes. But I always come back smiling. That’s who I am.

I don’t need anyone to tell me what to do and what not to do. I don’t need anyone to decide for me which goals are too risky. I don’t need anyone to hold my hand and tell me that everything’s going to be alright. I overcame the illusion that there is someone who can make my life better. I know in my bones that no amount of money or medals will improve the quality of my existence. I can’t control anything. All I can do is my best. Things will happen, just the way they always do.

4E0EB492-6F3B-4215-8772-B23A80DD5964

I have faith that makes me stronger. I am building someone who can do incredible things. With God’s help, I can be anyone and I can do anything. There is a plan for me and everyone else. All I am asking for is a chance. The opportunity. Everyone deserves at least one chance to become great. Everything I do now is a preparation for the opportunity ahead. It is bigger than me. And when the opportunity reveals itself – I will be ready. I will be at the peak of my capabilities. I will execute my part perfectly.

4F26D2C4-BA56-40F4-8033-1D33DBF2693D
F1BA630C-1E90-4D79-AD37-45D5DD53679F
BBCDEFBA-9149-47D7-B692-A31AADA996FA
IMG_8683
IMG_8686
Screen Shot 2021-10-20 at 1.17.59 PM
IMG_7178
oleksandr_tereshchuk
,
0

30 Days on the Road got me Thinking

1. Consistency

The sport requires consistency. The job requires consistency. Mastery in any field requires consistency. It is super hard to train consistently while travelling. All the training has to be done at home, wherever it is.

A nomadic lifestyle requires a lot of logistics and planning. It takes up your mental energy. You can’t expect yourself to work at your best, while constantly moving around.

2. The One Thing

SOS – shiny object syndrome. There is an epidemic of ADHD in the World. People grab what’s shiny and run with it. Until they drop it… Then they move to the next and next and next. They leave a trail of unfinished work behind them. I don’t want to be that. I am tired of chasing my tail. I am tired of searching.

I want to find that ONE THING that I can be exceptionally good at. I want to specialize in one thing and be known for it. I want to find out what is it that I can do better than anyone else. Period. I want my work to be in the top 10 in the World. I want to find my jam. I want to create. I want to flow. Find my Zone and stay there until I drop dead. I put my ego aside and ask the Universe: What is it that I can be exceptionally good at? I don’t need what’s trendy. I don’t care if it’s sexy or not. I just want to know – Is there is something that I can do exceptionally well? Am I capable of creating something beautiful? I want to know. I surrender to God to show me. I promise to accept my gift for what it is. I promise not to judge the gift that I was given. I did not create myself, so who am I to judge? Whatever gave me life – WHY? With all my heart, I want you to give me the task. The task that only me and a couple of other men and women can do.

Maybe I just want to feel special. Yes, I do. It sounds like I go through an identity crisis. Show me the way. Give me a sign or a hint of something that will lead me to my calling. I will try from happiness when I find my door. I promise not to brag. I promise not to take for granted your gifts. I promise not to turn away from those in need. What do you want me to do?

3. Am I climbing the wrong mountain?

Whenever I set myself a goal – I go all out. I am a black or white person.

Training has become a full-time job for me. I stopped enjoying it. Wait. Pause. Reset. Why do you still do it if you don’t enjoy it? Is someone holding a gun to your head? Why did you decide on triathlon? What if there is something different that you should be doing? What if this is just a preparation for what’s coming?

I want to become world-class. But is it really what you want? Alex is more than a physical body. I am an intellectual person. I like to think. I like to work with my brain. Becoming World-class in triathlon will require a lot of sacrifices. I can not give my 100% self to mental work AND physical. Something will have to give. I’ve been gifted a sharp mind. Am I willing to put my mind to the side and focus all my energy on training? No. I know myself. If I don’t learn, if I don’t load my mind with challenging tasks – I destroy myself. No matter how good my training is, I will still have the need to let my mind work. What if my sport is mental and not physical? What if I’ve been climbing the wrong mountain? No-no, I will not drop the sport. Perhaps I need to reduce the intensity. Maybe I need to shift my focus a bit and be okay with not being a professional athlete. Still train. Still exercise, but know that your game is a mental game. Physical exercise and sport are not the end stop. Sport is here to support me, but not to consume me.

If I didn’t kill myself in training and racing, maybe I could stay fit for life. Maybe I won’t stand on the podium in my thirties, but I will enjoy every race and stay active in my seventies and eighties. I need to prioritize health over results. I need to do it for pure enjoyment and not the medal that means nothing. Save your body. Love your body. You are in a mental game, not the physical. Find ways to challenge your mind the way you challenge your body. Use the sport to support your mental game, not harm it.

oleksandr_tereshchuk
,
0

STRENGTH and PHYSIOTHERAPY Exercises

FLEXIBILITY EXERCISES: LOWER EXTREMITY

STRONGER LEGS: YOGA FLOW SEQUENCE

Band resisted row with calf raise

Why?

Row with calf raises is to improve mid back strength and calf strength simultaneously. Mid back strength is important for posture in endurance sports especially towards the end of a race – helps maintain the position of the rib cage for optimal diaphragm excursion. And the calf muscles, especially the soleus (which is trained with the knee bent) is very important for running. The soleus excepts the load of the body at initial contact and pushes off the ground during terminal stance while running.

How?

Raise up on toes and squeeze calf muscles in this position
3 sets of 10

Step-up with High Knee Combo (part I)

Why?

Focus of the exercise is to build quad strength and work on control/balance for the running form during the step-up/down down portion. The knee should cross over the toes when stepping up to emphasize the use of the quads. The high knee portion of the exercise is to focus on improving stability in the hip flexors which are very important in all aspects of triathlon, but specially in running they help to pull the leg through during the swing phase of gait and stabilize the spine when the foot is about to hit the ground.

How?

3 sets of 10
Use an 8-10″ step

Farmer’s Carry

Why?

The purpose of this exercise is to work on controlling and building strength in the running form position: mid back, core, glutes, and hip flexors.

How?

4x80s (40s heel to toe and 40s march)
Aim to hold an 18kg and 16kg KB in each hand (weight should be different in each hand)
Switch after every pass

oleksandr_tereshchuk
0

TRAINING FOR HAWAII 70.3

Key Sessions

  1. 90 Min Bike | May 14. ~Heat Training. Failed~
  2. 90 Min Cadence | May 16. ~7 All-time Bests. Hm… slowly getting back on track~
  3. +3 Hr Ride (3×10′ bouts) | May 18. ~IRONMAN Mont Tremblant bike course (100 km)~
  4. 1hr 30 min @200 Watts |May 21. ~70.3 Continuous Effort. Extremely Sore~
  5. 90 Min Cadence AM + PM 15k Run | May 23. ~Repeat of the last week. Feeling strong! Enjoyed the workout~
  6. 2 Hr Ride (4×3′ bouts), May 25. ~Injured. Backing down~
  7. 1 Hr Ride (3×3′ bouts), May 29. ~Final ride. Feeling strong, no pain~
oleksandr_tereshchuk
0

SWIMMING

Triathlete’s Essential Swimming Equipment

Theory

Coaching feedback (Ayesha, Team Atomica):

  1. Professional swimmers use 20% of their legs. As a triathlete, I need to use only 10% of my legs mainly for balance and buoyancy. 
  2. I’m lean and need to breathe every third stroke so I hold the air in my lungs longer which should give me more buoyancy
  3. Exhale, pushing the air out on the second stroke. Make sure you empty the lungs completely before the inhale.  
  4. With my tendency to think a lot, swimming in a group will help me to get out of my head and focus on the workout.
  5. There is nothing critically wrong with my current technique. Improving my breathing will give me a lot of speed. 

Coaching feedback Bruce:

To begin you have a good turn over and body position in the water.

1. Your kick it should be more from the hips than from the knees. This will keep you more streamlined and get you more power in your stroke.
Vertical kicking drill will help and as you get better raising your hands  above the water will make you stronger. Also your toes should be pointed.

2. Both of your arms/hands should get up on the eye level box right away as you start your pull. This will give you a better anchor to pull yourself  forward. When you watch your arms the right pushes straight down  then starts to anchor in the water, while the left drives deep before you rotate to anchor your forearm. A high elbow catch will help along with pull-ups.

3. Both arms finish about your swim suite. You should be finishing farther down the front of your thighs. Think of patting a small child on the top of their head then pushing them behind you with a hand flick.

4. When you breathe start to exhale right away because trying to exhale as you turn to inhale doesn’t give you a good exchange.

oleksandr_tereshchuk
,
0

Turn Up The Heat! Low Carbohydrate Diet and its impact on recovery and performance in athletes

Long-Term Low-Carbohydrate, High-Fat Diet Impairs Performance and Subjective Well-Being in a World-Class Vegetarian Long-Distance Triathlete

The aim of this case study was to report on the performance outcomes and subjective assessments of long-term low-carbohydrate, high-fat (LCHF) diet in a world-class long-distance triathlete who had been suffering from gastrointestinal distress in Ironman competition. The lacto-ovo vegetarian athlete (age = 39 years; height = 179 cm; usual racing body mass = 75 kg; sum of seven skinfolds = 36 mm) changed his usual high carbohydrate (CHO) availability diet to an LCHF diet for 32 weeks (∼95% compliance). He participated in three professional races while on the LCHF diet, but acutely restored CHO availability by consuming CHO in the preevent meals and during the race as advised. The athlete had his worst-ever half-Ironman performance after 21 weeks on the LCHF diet (18th). After 24 weeks on LCHF, he had his second worst-ever Ironman performance (14th) and suffered his usual gastrointestinal symptoms. He did not finish his third race after 32 weeks on LCHF. He regained his usual performance level within 5 weeks back on a high CHO diet, finishing second and fourth in two Ironman events separated by just 3 weeks. Subjective psychological well-being was very negative while on the LCHF diet, with feelings of depression, irritability, and bad mood. In conclusion, this long-term (32 weeks) LCHF intervention did not solve the gastrointestinal problems that the athlete had been experiencing, it was associated with negative performance outcomes in both the half-Ironman and Ironman competitions, and it had a negative impact on the athlete’s subjective well-being.

McSwiney, Tomás (2018) High-Carbohydrate, Ketogenic Diets, Exogenous Ketones: Performance and Health Effects in Endurance Athletes. Doctoral thesis, Waterford Institute of Technology.

Download
Overtraining. Fatigue
oleksandr_tereshchuk
0

Overtraining

Pushing harder does not work. I’m stuck and the harder I press on gas pedal, the faster and deeper I dig myself into the hole.
Mud and smoke. Sweat and tears.

I am sure there are other athletes who struggle with similar issues. I respect those who did not give up and just like me, looking for solutions.

I begin my investigation with a series of blog posts on Overtraining. I will dig deeper and try to find causes as well as solutions. I learn from this “failure” and bounce back stronger than ever before. My posts will describe this “journey” in details and Ihope that my finding will help others who is facing similar challenges. Together we will rock the sport of triathlon!

Content

oleksandr_tereshchuk
,
0

TRAVELLING TO THE UNITED STATES FROM CANADA

Athletes from all over the world had races scheduled in the United States. Now, that restriction caused by pandemic lighten up, the races start happening again. Ironman recently made the following announcement:

Announcement:

We appreciate your continued patience and understanding while we have been developing options for you during this very dynamic time. After assessing all event scenarios, we are pleased to share with you the new race date and location for the 2020 IRONMAN Texas triathlon which is now scheduled to take place on October 17, 2020 in Waco, Texas as part of a festival weekend with the 2020 Bicycle World Texas IRONMAN 70.3 Waco triathlon on October 18, 2020.

IRONMAN Texas

That’s great news! Pack your bags, we are going to RACE! … wait a sec. You are not from US? Canada? Mexico? Europe? If so, then there might be some problems… If you’re outside of United States of America and want to come to attend a sporting event, consult with US Border officials. COVID-19 changed the way we travel.

I did the work for you and sent a letter to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Information Center. I explained that I’ve got the Ironman Texas coming and I really want to be there. Can I go? Would you let me into the country?

Information for guidance on travelling to the United States from Canada

COVID-19 Related Travel Restrictions across the U.S. Borders with Canada and Mexico

  • The United States will temporarily limit inbound land border crossings from Canada and Mexico to “essential travel”.
  • U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents and certain other travellers are exempt from this action. 

The following categories DO NOT fall within the definition of “essential travel:”

  • Individuals travelling for tourism purposes, such as sightseeing, recreation, gambling, or attending cultural events in the United States. (Ironman or any other sporting event included)

Who is considered an “essential” traveler? 

  • Citizens and lawful permanent residents returning to the United States.
  • Individuals traveling for medical purposes (e.g., to receive medical treatment in the United States).
  • Individuals traveling to attend educational institutions.
  • Individuals traveling to work in the United States (e.g., individuals working in the agriculture industry who must travel between the United States and Canada or Mexico in furtherance of such work).
  • Individuals traveling for emergency response and public health purposes (e.g., government officials or emergency responders entering the United States to support federal, state, local, tribal, or territorial government efforts to respond to COVID-19 or other emergencies).
  • Individuals engaged in lawful cross-border trade (e.g., truck drivers supporting the movement of cargo between the United States and Canada and Mexico).
  • Individuals engaged in official government travel or diplomatic travel.
  • Individuals engaged in military-related travel or operations.

This action does not apply to air, rail, or sea travel at this time, but does apply to commuter rail and ferry travel.

I am gonna have to miss the Ironman Texas… you probably too. Sorry bud.

References

Notification of Temporary Travel Restrictions Applicable to Land Ports of Entry and Ferries Service Between the United States, Canada, and Mexico: https://www.dhs.gov/news/2020/06/16/fact-sheet-dhs-measures-border-limit-further-spread-coronavirus

Please visit coronavirus.gov and USA.gov/coronavirus for official government-wide information and CDC.gov/coronavirus for health-related updates about COVID-19. Visit DHS.gov/coronavirus for homeland security updates and FEMA’s website to distinguish between rumors and facts regarding the response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

oleksandr_tereshchuk
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Ego is NOT the Enemy. EGO is the Vehicle.

To remind myself. So important to remind myself to slow down, look in the rear mirror and give yourself compassionate smile; to pat myself on a back and say “Good job partner!”; to shut down my mouth and open my eyes. 

Three months to think, to reflect, to dig deep into myself. Physical pain is catalyst of many mental processes and quickly reminds you of main things in life. That Ironman race in Lake Placid could’ve been my last one… Looking back, it was a scary accident that could’ve put me into the coffin or at least make me disabled. It did not. It was a lesson, not the exam. A bad student was given a chance to try again. I like to think that I learned the lesson, however I also realize that the fact I allow myself to think so, proves me wrong. 

It is comforting to think that the accident is over and I took the most of it and took good notes. I can turn the page now. Or I should rathe ask: Can I turn the page now?

“You can, but after you pass the exam.”

Two years ago I spent Thanksgiving with my friend in Austin, Texas. Jim signed us both for the annual Turkey Trot — fundraising event. Just starting my training/racing journey, I ran 8 kilometers in 41 minutes averaging 8 minute/mile. I ran it for fun, however competitive bug in me pushed me faster than I planned. It was a good run. 

“Hey Sasha, we want you come join us for Thanksgiving this year. Will also run the Turkey Trot. The race we did two years ago, remember?”

 — Jim called.

Of course I did remember and of course I would love to spend this family holiday among the people who care about me. “Hey Sasha, we want you come join us for Thanksgiving this year “ — Jim called. “Will also run the Turkey Trot. The race we did two years ago, remember?” Of course I did remember and of course I would love to spend this family holiday among the people who care about me. 

“You NEED to make this race your “coming back race”. You HAVE to win your age group!!! You MUST push yourself as hard as only possible!” 

— familiar voice popped up in my mind. 

Hmm…. Sounds familiar. Heavy claws fell on my shoulders and immediately I recognized him… He’s back. 

Sasha — the Ironman is now talking. That Sasha who almost killed me not that long ago on the course in September. I realized who was talking and the table turned. I was flashing the awareness light right into his face. Awareness gave me the right of choice. Remain a puppet of my Ego or take the captain’s post…

Yes, I will run! Of course, I will push myself hard! However, this time I will do it not because I HAVE TO or MUST, but because I CHOOSE TO. I choose to train and compete; I choose to enjoy every step I take. Now I know that every single race could be the last one and every experience is so unique and precious. 

The ultimate failure in life is to achieve everything you wanted but still not find the happiness. No matter in what place you finish the race, you always lose if you did not enjoy it. It worth repeating:

No matter how well you perform, you are the ultimate loser if you did not enjoy it. 

The ultimate failure in anything you do is to finish first and unhappy. 

I learned to be careful setting the goals for myself. No hard numbers, no unrealistic expectations. Instead of making a statement and demanding a certain result from my body, I now ask. I ask my body: how fast can you do it, considering the circumstances? Bike accident, surgery, no training for 8–9 weeks…ups and downs. Considering all those facts, what my finishing time could be? What is the fittest you can get on a few weeks of training?

I’ve had three weeks to somewhat prepare for the run. Three weeks before the race, my surgeon allowed to resume light training and I immediately met with my coach to announce my 8 kilometers intention. Renee supported me, however warned to not set high expectations. I know, I know Renee… This is the lesson I needed to learn. 

Only so few running workouts to get in shape. Each of them counts. 

The work is done. I’m at the race venue. I feel so much energy. The fire within is searching for a way out. I am so grateful to be in this city, I am so grateful to be young, strong and healthy!!! I am so happy to be able to move my body, to see all this people around me, to smell the fresh morning air. So glad to be back at the start line and feel the competition.

Even the fact that I missed the start of my wave bounced off my mind and didn’t screw my mood in any way. I would run anyways, timed or not timed, rain or snow, hail or meteorite shower. I flew to the starting line, hoped over the fence and hit the start button on my watch.

 Go!

I pushed it hard… and I pushed it hard again. I enjoyed every moment of the race. I loved the burning feeling in my legs and the heart pumping in my chest. Finished strong and hit the stop button. 

Looked at the watch: 

8.3 kilometers – 33 minutes  
4 min/km
6 min/mi

Yes! Fuck yeah! 
So grateful, so grateful. I am back! I am alive!
Mission complete…. Celebrate 

It’s so important to remember all the lessons that life teaches you. It is so easy to fall back into the usual model of thinking and responding to the world. 

Remember! Remember!
Remember and don’t look back.

Happy Thanksgiving my friends!

1 2 3 4