Floating

While this random guy resembles more of my swimming style these days, I actually chose this image to represent how I'm trying to function right now. I've made a very deliberate attempt to slow things down, lay on my back, relax and float as much as possible.

For the first time in a long time, I don't feel completely overwhelmed with decision-making overload. The decisions I'm making now are team-oriented, tackled by both myself and my fiance. We're working through everything from coffee tables to reception places, from bedspreads to florists. It's a unique combination of building our home and our wedding at the same time. I selfishly admit that it's very refreshing not having to do either by myself.

Work has slowed to a comfortably chaotic pace...We're getting ready for Valentines Day with a couple of my clients at the moment. Most of the clients I work with are coming off very successful holiday retail seasons. They're happy, which makes me happy. I'm also meeting with potential new clients. The best part of my job in advertising is meeting with and getting to know various business owners of all types of work. I deal with Jewelers, Antique Store owners, Drug Companies that do investigation studies, granite companies, Medical Resource Companies. Because it's the first of the year, we're able to slow down, discuss their goals and plan accordingly.

Finally, my workouts are progressing slowly and methodically. My right leg pain is a little frustrating, but I'm taking my recovery in stride. I ice it several times daily and have been doing a bunch of crosstraining. On Saturday, I hopped on my trainer and did a 45 minute spin class using my "Spinervals" DVD. On Sunday, Shawn and I did what we affectionately refer to as "The Norwalk 10K," which is an approximate 10K route starting from our house and heading around the trail. I was trepidatious about the run, but the morning was so glorious in Austin, I needed to be outdoor! As I feared, I started feeling the "tendonitis" about a mile into the run, but I'm happy to say that the pain never progressed past a certain level. It was uncomfortable, but never excrutiating. I'm taking that as a good sign since it was unbearable just a couple of weeks prior. Because I had run on Sunday, I went to the gym on Monday morning and aqua jogged for 30 minutes and then followed that with a 25 minute swim in the Swim-Ex pools. I'm still just focusing on form right now with my swim stroke and trying to memorize how certain aspects of the stroke should feel. As I was looking at classes at Castle Hill, I saw a Cardio Brick workout being offered on Tuesday morning at 6am. It was described as 30 minutes of high intensity spinning, followed by a 30 minute run. I thought it sounded perfect so I showed up this morning. Well, I ended up getting a personal one-on-one workout because I was the only one who showed up!! The instructor said that it hasn't been well-attended, which really surprised me since it's such a nice well-rounded workout. We proceeded through the hour-long workout as if the class was full. The spin portion was great and I worked up a quick sweat with pickups and several progressions using resistance and cadence work. We headed outside for our run just when it started to sprinkle. We did a combination of warm-ups, drills and pickups in a park near the gym. I felt a little bad that I was the only one there today forcing her to workout, but I felt great afterward having done the class.

So, I'm really trying to slow my world down and float a bit. At least, I'm not face down in the water!