that IS a light at the end of the tunnel

It truly is a light at the end of the tunnel...and not a train coming towards me. :-) SO...things are going pretty well. 40 minutes on the trainer this morning. Whoohoo.

AND the big news about the job thing...i was re-reading my posts and realized I should update. A week ago, I was offered both positions I was interviewing for and on Friday I accepted one of them! So weird to take a job that you won't start for 7 months...but now I don't have to stress about finding a job AND finishing up the stupid book (aka dissertation). Now I can just focus the crazy on one thing at a time. And can we say 'motivation?'

OK at the same time this is hugely motivating and amazingly frightening. I have so many things to do to finish up and some days I feel a bit overwhelmed by it all. But the crazy thing is that every time I begin to freak out I start thinking about triathlon training. I basically have 12-14 weeks til I have to pass a milestone with my thesis committed before being given the big OK to write the book. And then another 12 weeks to write the book. First instinct...Freak_ out. But then I thought about training. Slightly dorky I know, but once I started to think in 12-14 week training chunks, it helped me to calm down.

I guess I figured that if I decided to do an Olympic distance triathlon...in 14 weeks from now (brrr...new England) I definitely could. I'm not planning an Oly in 14 or 12 weeks...that's be a silly time to do that as I'd be nuts-o with the milestone and freakishly cold water in New England, but you get my point. (maybe)...my point being that even though it doesn't sound like a lot of time, 12 or 14 weeks...it's lots of time to prepare for a sprint triathlon, an Olympic triathlon or other things. These are things that a few years ago the mystery of finishing these distances seemed almost out of reach, but I have recognized that by committing myself to the training and the daily-ness of it all I can succeed.

My 'training' at the moment is mountains of experiments...many which make my back hurt as I have to stand for hours on end...but I'll get there. And have a stronger back by the end of this week.

All is well...all is well.

Oh and the job location...about as far away as one can move from New England...California. Many have commented that I won't have seasons anymore...my thought: I've had my whole life with seasons...I got the point. :-P

outside running

I managed a 6 mile run today outside in the oh so nice 27 F weather. It is 'warming' up...hahaha. Oh well...it does look like this will be my last New England winter quite possibly ever...although one never knows what the future holds, so I won't say never. So I'm attempting to embrace the New England-ness of the cold and 'enjoy'...um right...sure...whatever.

but it was a great run...back to building a base

Metric

Metric...that is the answer to the mystery numbers on the bike...my 'power' meter has decided not to stay in imperial units and when ever you give it a chance (read: look the other way after you have programmed it with mph) it will blink at you show weird number reading and then go to km/h. Fun. I'd been dreaming of moving back to metric loving countries recently, maybe I'm getting prepped for it. ;-)

Road my trainer for 45mins as it was a nasty-windy-myuniversityisactuallyclosed-snowy-sort of day. I did get out of my PJs and did a lot of work on one of my graduation milestones, so today was a SUPER productive day. Loved it.

Things are looking up on many fronts. Many details to still figure out in the scheme of it all with work-life-job stuff-graduating....bla, bla, bla. But maybe one day I will find some balance.

so...much...going...on..need...to...breath...

GASP....

So today I finally unpacked my bags from my trip out West from last week. That's just about how insane things have been. The job front from the interview last week is all going in a nice and positive direction. Research is going in a nice and positive direction...what in the world is going on around here??? :-) I likey it though. Although i'm insanely busy and I get the feeling breathing will soon become optional. I actually tried making out an actual training schedule this week for the next few weeks. So far...doing OK. Not fab. But...breathing has becoming my number one focus lately. Although I am reminded that my number one tri goal this season is to graduate...so I guess I am on target :-)

on a training note....I had a weird bike trainer sesson. I have this 'fake' power meter(well that's what I call it)...From what I gather on how it calculates the Power and speed and I'm rather suspect about it it's actual values being accurate...but it gives me numbers and well...being of the science minded I like numbers most days. And if anything even if the numbers are 'fake', (as in not truely what would be going on while you are out on the road), you can at least compare the fake numbers and make some sort of comparison of how you are doing.

So...ok...i'm not super speedy when it comes to the bike. When i'm on the road my avg speed is typically 15-17mph. And in all truth the trainer comes in around that, usually a little on the lower end of things. But yesterday that was not the case. I have worked with the trainer to know enough that my speed is in the 14-17mph typically and i'm usually feeling it pretty much on the higher mph...so last night when I'm happily putting out numbers that look between 22-25mph...my thoughts...huh? I have NOT been doing much of well...much...and yet...er...is the thingy working?

Indoor tail wind?? It is a bit drafty in the old house i live :-)

Either way....lots of fun...i can deal with the new digits.

Chaos

Well the first week of my 'get back into training/tri' schedule did work, but the second week...not so much....BUT it wasn't due to the original issues that were plaguing me...it was due to a lot of Chaos that in-sued due to a sudden job opportunities/interviews. I tried to keep some training in order and some got done...some didn't. I know 20 mins a day isn't a lot to commit, but as this was my first monster interview (being flown somewhere ect, ect with crazy prep)...what can i say...ok no excuse, but live and learn.

I am currently WAAAAAAAAAAAAY across the country. Quite possibly about as far away as I can get while still staying in the lower 48 states. And the weather is DEFINTELY not New England.

This whole thing happened wicked fast and suddenly i'm out doing the job interview thing. It has gone well...and i will know more next week. It's a bit weird to be interviewing for a job i'd start this next fal, but that's how it goes with how grad school and everything. Anywho...it was good. The interviewing process was a lot of fun actually. And things do look favorable. Who know what will come of all of it...will I get the the job offers (as there were two jobs I was interviewing for) will i not...will I take a job offer here...or some where else. Time will tell...time will tell.

So, today i'll be hiking around with some friends and be headed back to MA tomorrow. Good fun. And come monday...i think that saddle is waiting for me. :-) Bring. it. on.