A Series of Rehearsals

Doesn't the old Shakespeare quote read something like, "Life is just a stage and we are merely players?" That's exactly how I feel at this moment in my life. Everything I'm doing is practice for something bigger and better.

Last night, my comedy troupe "Gag Reflex" got together to discuss next weekend's trip to D.C. for the D.C. Comedy Fest. It was a great rehearsal! We hadn't seen each other in over a month and it felt like a group of students coming back from summer break. We caught up on our personal lives (Dena's and Kelly's are MUCH more exciting than mine) :-) and ran through our lines for the 7-8 sketches that we'll be performing. It's going to be such a blast even though our trip is only 24 hours long! It's so fun working with such diverse, eclectic and creative people. In many ways, it's a much-welcomed relief from all of the regimes and compulsive behaviors of my training schedule. I'm glad I have that creative outlet to bring me back to reality and realize that there's more to MY life than just swim splits, bricks and bike fittings.

Our rehearsal was time well spent to prepare us for the big show in Washington D.C. on April 8th.

My training schedule (as confining as it feels sometimes) is also a rehearsal for the big events on the horizon in Boston and Maryland. I run courses that simulate the Boston course. I ride in wind gusts to prepare for the worst possible conditions at Eagleman and I practice my nutrition so that I actually make it through both of these events with stamina and dignity.

My "rehearsal time" on the roads and in the pool give me time to reflect, remember, plan and relax--knowing that on race day, I'll know my lines by heart.

And finally, my daily trials and tribulations with Shawn definitely prepare me for the future as we continue to look ahead to whatever life brings us. I have a tendency to overcomplicate small things and his tendency is to oversimplify big things (or what I consider to be big things!) Luckily, 99.9% of the time, we meet in the middle and recognize our quirks. He said it best the other day when I was having a moment. "Keep Your Eyes on the Big Picture." That Big Picture is hazy somedays, but with a little rehearsal, practice and dedication (and sense of humor), it gets clearer by the moment. We are so on the same page with decisions we're making right now. They're decisions that will affect our long-term future and it's comforting to know that we're in it together!

In the end, I don't think "practice makes perfect," but it certainly makes life more interesting.

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I was supposed to swim at Barton Springs Pool this morning and run at lunch. Thanks to the blinding rainstorm this morning, both have been put on hold for now. Instead, I did an abbreviated Core Workout this morning and will finish up tonight. I probably need a good solid rest day anyways. If nothing else, I'll make it to the pool this evening.

Nutrition:

6:15am 1/2 whole wheat tortilla, 1 teaspoon of organic PB
9:00 Tall Non-Fat Sugar Free Vanilla Latte, cup of Kashi Mighty Bites with sugar free vanilla yogurt
1:30 1/2 cup hot chocolate, Turkey Reuben with 1000 Island dressing, small cup of fruit and 1 small lemon bar. water, water, water