BOUNDLESS

Ironman 70.3 Tremblant Women's Pro Start line. 

According to Merriam-Webster the word Boundless means - having no boundaries, limitless.  Okay, so what?  Well, when was the last time you felt boundless, like there was nothing holding you back,  no one could confine, limit, or restrict you.  I know for me it has been what seems like almost forever.  Many of the confinements brought on by others and their wants and needs from me, some of them put onto me by my own self. 

As a child we all have boundaries which usually consist of places we can't go, things we aren't allowed to touch, do, or eat without permission.  We are limited by the rules placed on us by our parents, coaches, teachers, friends.  As adults many are bound by jobs, education, spouses, partners, friends, finances, peers, family, and the confinements we place on ourselves that keep us from stepping outside the box, breaking the status quo,  believing in who we are and what we are capable of.  I have been that adult and still am to some extent. Afraid my world may fall apart if I step outside the routine, relax my household responsibilities,  or do something for myself, I instead spent many years doing for others and neglecting the ever growing sadness building inside of me.  The outside appearance showing the "superwoman", the inside a fearful, weak,  far from super woman.

This brings me to today.  I just did a guest spot on a podcast, me! (Ordinary Marathloner )I'm cohosting a podcast too! (Humans of Triathlon) Things a bound woman may not venture into for fear of saying the wrong thing, showing the world that she's not the superwoman that people seem to think she is.    I also have taken a new outlook on Triathlon.  This will be my last season as a pro triathlete.  It has been an amazing experience, I love the people, the races, the flexibility of entering events and dropping out if need be without penalty of losing my entry fee.  I am one of only a few that have taken the leap to start on that Pro Ironman line, an experience I will always cherish and one that can never be taken away. I am happy to have earned the opportunity to race as a professional and show my kids, as well as grown ups, that anything is possible if you carve out a little time.    Maybe you won't be on the podium but that doesn't mean you didn't succeed or accomplish incredible things.   This season is about being okay with what I can accomplish while attempting to balance the rest of my chosen life responsibilities. 

Tremblant 70.3

My first Triathlon of 2019, Ironman 70.3 Tremblant, I knew going in that it wouldn't be pretty.  I have had very little time to ride the bike.  I find that it's easy to get in a run or a swim because I can do those things while I'm with my middle daughter at her swim practices.  The bike is a different story.  Finding the time to be able to be competitive with the other pro athletes on the bike is almost impossible for me.  So going into Tremblant I set a realistic time goal of under 5 hours.  Told myself not to go crazy trying to win the swim because it wouldn't make much of a difference at the end of the bike.  It was about gauging the course to see where my fitness was for the upcoming full ironman this coming August,  to have fun with my friend Lisa, and make new friends along the way.   I was pleased with the swim and the run and ended up beating the pre race goal by 6 minutes.  All in all it was a great day.  

Amber Ferreira- This face says it all!  

During Tremblant I had the opportunity to speak to some incredible pro athletes, one of whom was Amber Ferreira.  I had  interviewed her earlier this year on the Humans of Triathlon Podcast and fell in love with her attitude and spirit.  She is just as amazing in person and I am using a picture of her from the race in Tremblant to remind me of what's most important, Having Fun!  Enjoying the moment, the opportunities that present themselves, and the sport itself, to remember why I started in the first place.   The pressure put on myself and by some others was taking away the main reason I show up to practice and race day.  I'm changing that.  

I want my girls to feel they have boundless
opportunity. 

I'm moving into a new chapter of my life as I'll be 45 years young on August 1st and next year will be in a  new age group.  It would be awesome to plan a family trip around 70.3 Worlds or better yet, Kona.  If you read my blog before you will know that I qualified for Kona in 2016 but turned down the spot and went Pro instead.   I will not turn down the spot again as my girls really want to go to Hawaii and so do I. I haven't been there since I was 17 years old, and it wasn't a vacation, it was a training camp for swimming.    To be boundless is my goal.  To strive to not let others' perceptions or those insecurities of my own,  hold me back from doing what's important to me.  Keep in mind that doesn't mean ignoring my responsibilities, nor does it mean I don't care for others or will not give up my time for them.  It means when I do that it is because I have chosen to do that.  I won't ignore the feeling inside that screams at me, "you don't want to do this", and do it anyway.  I will weigh my choices, and if it is really something that is not needed, necessary, and I really don't want to do it, I won't.  It may take a bit, old behaviours are not easy to change, however one step at a time.  One step we can all take to create a life that is full of boundless opportunities.