Update #7 from Mamacat

How is Mamacat doing these days? Remember, the end goal for her is the Bloomington Iron Girl Duathlon on September 25. 

Some days are good, as I learned in this report:

On my way out the door this morning for a bike ride before the heat set in, I bumped into my neighbor who was also on her way out for a ride. We ended up venturing off together, hitting a state trail and 17 miles later had a long ride under my belt for the day. It was nice to have company. She's a biker so keeping up with her was a good workout for me. 

Some days are more challenging:

I rode to Moms On The Run this morning, ran for 30 minutes and pushed myself harder than I have been. Then I proceeded to ride 17 miles up hilly terraine. If the duathlon was 2 miles running then 22 mile biking and that is all, I know I could do it. But the thought of getting back into running mode after already having run and done the bike ride does not sound like my body will love it. I won't give up but today this is a mental hurdle. Tomorrow is a new day and perhaps I'll forget how I would have rather put screws in my eyes than run again. On the flip side, I had a great ride and I'm comfortably exhausted. 

I told her that feeling of, "would rather put screws in my eyes than run again," is the training effect. She's pushing her body to new limits. The next time she'll get to that same place and be able to go farther. That's how you get stronger, but you never know until you push those boundaries. So what did she do? She pushed boundaries: 

I took a trip to the local Tri store to find some skorts that actually STAY in place and ended up not only with a few new cute outfits but also asking myself when my first triathlon would be. WHAT? Did I just say that? Before I picked up your book, I would have never in a million years even contemplated any kind of race and I actually had myself wondering if I could do a tri! It's a big question for myself but the first step is just thinking about it, right? You've influenced me in so many ways!!! 

She went from thinking about it to:

I am officially signed up for the "MY First Tri" out of Tri Fitness. I started swimming with the masters swim class on Thursday nights up at Square Lake. It is a deep, cold lake and you can see a lot of 'lake things' with your goggles on...that creeps me out. I did go ahead and rent a wetsuit and swimming was pretty easy peesy with that thing on. Getting the wetsuit on was like a bad spanx experience. Putting my swm cap on my fat little head and bulging eye goggles on top of that made me look more like a weeble than a snausage but heck, I tried it and it was fun.

I'm so proud of her and her bulging eye goggles I could bust out in a bad rendition of "We are the Champions." Oh, I know, she hasn't finished these races yet, but I believe signing up for the race is the hardest part. Committing. That's hard stuff. And Mamacat knows this as someone who has also battled alcohol addiction. Turns out her commitment to sobriety has a few things in common with her commitment to fitness:

Early in this journey, we said we'd talk about recovery and how one can committ to staying fit just as one commits to staying sober. It has not escaped me. And these worlds are not so far apart. It's about commitment, making habits, educating yourself and being present in the world you want to be living in. Right now. Not sometime, but right now.  Specifically, in an effort to stay sober one must do a few things and it's called "working a program." It's also called having all the tools you need to find success: 1) Make a routine to go to meetings. 2) Read The Big Book or any of AA/AA approved reading material when things start to get tough. READ READ READ to remember what it was like before you were sober and how great it is now that your are sober. 3) Surround yourself with sober people. 

In fitness it appears to be the same 1) Make a routine out if it. Go to your run club or your favorite weekly classes at the gym. See the same people in the same positive patterns. 2) Read. For me, I am reading Hot (Sweaty) Mamas when I need to get back on track. I carry it with me and it has become my Big Book. Any fitness related (read: inspiring) article or magazine will work, too. I like the fitness magazines as a second choice because I can pick up some much needed fashion tips. I now know who Lululemon is and she's not the skinny bitch in the Latte line. I've learned that running bras do come in big girl sizes, that there are more places to shop than the picked over fit section at Target, that neon is making a comeback! Lastly, 3) Surround yourself with fit people. I could go on and on here but I think you get my point. And you can tell I've had a good workout today because my endorphins are dancing. 

Keep dancing Mamacat! She's motivated and working hard. And like an answer to the Serenity Prayer she earned a massage with Serenity Now Healing Center. I know Mamacat knows what a good massage feels like, as this is her treat when traveling for business ("What else am I going to do," she says, "I can't go sit in a bar.") When I asked about her massage from Serenity Now her eyes rolled back in her head. She couldn't even find the words, just some "Aaahing" and "Ooohing." I think I could make out the words, "Sooooo Goooood." When training this hard I'm one to believe that a good massage is a necessity, not a luxury. We all need to include a massage in the "cost of doing fitness."

Now Mamacat is not only becoming a Hot (Sweaty) Mama, she's also becoming a triathlete. Want to give this first timer some encouragement? Any other similarities between living a fit life and sober life? How long has it been since you've had a massage? Too long?