Volume 8, Week 7: Trusting the Process

 So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God's will.  Then you will receive all that he has promised.

Hebrews 10:35-36 (NLT)

**NOTICE**  My reflections at the end of this week's blog turned out to be longer than normal this week.  Good thing you have all week to read before the next one comes out next Sunday.  You've been given fair warning....it's really only about a 7-minute read....   

    I have just over 10 months to go.  A long ways still.  There is a trust in the process that I need to have as I get up everyday to swim, to bike, or to run.  Knowing that this doesn't happen overnight or in two months.  I still have lots of training to do before I step onto that beach to hit the surf.  There is also a trust in the process in my life and faith that I need.  Here are my weekly stats to start off this week's blog....

Weekly Stats:

• Weight: 179.3
• +.3 lbs from last week
• -1.3 lbs from start (180.6)
• Swimming (x2)
• 3.35 miles (5,900 yards)
• 2:02:14
• Biking (x3)
• 40.11 miles
• 2:27:06
• Running (2x)
• 11.07 miles
• 1:41:51
• Strength (x2)
• 1:24:57
• Yoga (x2)
• 39:02
• Totals:
• 11 workouts
• 54.53 miles
• 8:15:10

    I'm definitely into a groove in my weekly schedule.  I didn't eat super great this week.  Twice this week, I had a Christmas luncheon (with extra helpings) with too much good food to pass up.  A fast-food run on one of the nights before a basketball game, and a big birthday celebration dinner. I'm up on my weekly weight.  Not worried about it at all.  I know the next couple of weeks will be not perfect with the holidays.  I'll be OK.  On Monday I did a swim and was shooting for 4,000 yards.  I had broken it up into several intervals and was finishing up my 400th yard in my last 500-yard interval.  (Still had 250 to go after that.) My right calf fully cramped up suddenly as I crossed from the deep end to the shallow end of the pool.  Glad it happened there and not in the deep end.  I tried to kick differently and then my left shin went into full cramp mode.  So here I am trying to walk the rest of the 20 yards in the shallow end with cramps in both legs.  I could've drowned.  Not sure the lifeguard even noticed I stopped swimming.  Or she was playing it cool, knowing I was standing up.  So I didn't finish my 4000 yards.  Not sure why I cramped--I had plenty of water that day, had eaten just fine, and wasn't going too fast.  Maybe kicking off the wall too hard or something. So I walked it out to the hot tub and was fine after that. Wednesday I did 2250 yards, just over the distance of a Half Ironman race.  No issues with the legs this time.  On the bike, I completed 3 rides on my trainer, still working on my Across America virtual route.  I finished up the western part of PA and crossed the state line into West (By God) Virginia.  My runs were strong this week. First time back outside in a couple of weeks.  Completed a 6.5 miler on Tuesday morning, then another run immediately after a 1-hour bike ride on Saturday morning.  Both of those runs, I ran fairly fast, but wasn't trying to.  I did have sore legs after that first run (and the day before with the swim cramps) so I took it easy on the runs this week.  But I know the training process is working.  I did both of my normal strength workouts (Shoulders & Arms and Chest & Back).  I'm getting stronger in those, and those will help with my swim and on the bike as I stay in the aero position on the bike.   For the Yoga, I did 2 of the short sessions of "Yoga for Triathletes".  This is more of hip stretching and flexibility utilizing yoga moves.  Only 20 minutes for each of those, but they still work me.  I finished with total weekly training time of 8:15:10, which is about average except for a couple of those first few weeks when I really believe I was doing too much too early.  Next month starts a true training plan for the 70.3 Eagleman in June and then of course working towards my A-race in November.  That's when I'll be more structured than I am now.  These last few months I've really worked on building a solid base with my cardio, strength and overall fitness.  I know I've worked hard and have to trust my body when it comes to how it will react when I start doing more. So there's the recap to my week.  This coming week will be a little different with Christmas right in the middle and I'll probably have some days that will be more flexible than normal.  I'll be just fine, I'm in a good spot right now. 

Lessons Learned:

   I'm changing a little up on this blog.  This section will be simple lessons I'm  learning or things I observed that stood out to me each week.  I had some revelations this week.  Nothing that I didn't know before, but things that I was reminded of.  First, triathlon is expensive.  I've been listening to a podcast regularly recently, and that is a common theme that keeps getting mentioned. Sorry, kids.  I've spent most of the Christmas money on me this year!  Kidding, of course, but when I look at my Christmas list, there is little there that isn't pricey.  I guess I could have another, more unhealthy, vice that takes my money.  Another thing that I learned this week is to walk away from seconds at the big Christmas (or other) lunches.  I have to let my stomach catch up with my head and just say no. My weekly weigh-ins definitely proved this.  Third, and this might be the most important thing I learned this week.  If you are in the locker room at your local community center or YMCA and you have a towel with you--WEAR IT!  Around your neck doesn't count.  I know it's a locker room, but come on!  Sorry to make you go to sleep thinking about that.....

Reflections:

    The title of the blog this week is "Trusting the Process".  I've been reminded in several ways this week of that theme.  One I've already mentioned above.  I've seen improvements in my swims and runs and during my strength workouts.  It's something that sneaks up on me, but when I am striving for  slow "casual" run and I keep hitting fast (for me) mile paces without trying, I know my training is working.  Even when I have an off workout or I decide to sleep a little bit more, it's working. When I can do more body weight exercises, I know the process is working.  I'm reminded of Karate Kid where Mr. Miyagi does all sorts of sessions with Daniel-son, and then it all comes together.  I wish this was as fast as that and I could become Ironman-ready as fast as Daniel became a black belt.  But it won't happen overnight, it'll take me until the day of my race. 

    This week, a couple of some important people in my life hit big milestones.  My niece Emma scored her 1000th career HS basketball point in her game on Friday.  That didn't happen over one year.  That was a four-year ride, and it took all the team practices and games she played in to get to that point.  Then Rylan, my middle son, was offered a full-time firefighting position in a town just south of us.  The process of him getting his EMT license, his firefighting certificates, and the numerous applications and "no" emails he received from agencies throughout the area only made this phone call that much sweeter.  Landing your dream career didn't happen overnight, and the last year has been a long one as he's been trying and waiting. Neither gave up because they both knew they would get there if they trusted the process. And for both Emma and Rylan, it's not over yet.  Emma has a full season ahead of her and is gunning for other accomplishments and then heads off to play DII ball, and Rylan has a full career ahead of him over the next 30+ years.  Congrats to both of them.  (Both of these things happened on Friday, which was my dad's 80th birthday, and that didn't happen overnight either).  December 20th was a big day in the Curtis and Sales family!

    As I reflected on one of the scripture verses and questions that were posed to me in my weekly devotional, trust was, and is, an integral part of my faith. In Hebrews 10, the author (Paul? Maybe not Paul?) was writing to Jewish Christians who were facing persecution.  Some of those Christians went through terrible suffering (vs 33).  They also helped others who were going though a lot of the same persecution.  But they "knew that there were better things waiting" for them "that would last forever" (vs 34).  Now, I can say with 100% certainty that I personally have not been persecuted for my faith.  But there have been times in my life that shaped the path of my life, without me even knowing it at the time.  As I look back, I now know that there were better things waiting for me.     

    I won't go into great detail (I am more than willing to talk about it, but I just don't have the full time here, this is already going longer than usual), but 36 years ago last Monday on 12/16/88, I survived an active shooter in my small Christian school when I was in 8th grade.  My typing/math teacher Mrs. Farley was killed, my assistant principal was injured, and by the Lord's grace, no one else was injured, at least physically.  One of my best friend's mom was the one killed and we learned to live with what happened in the courtyard of our church where we had our trailer classrooms at the time. I lived life through junior high, high school and college, then got into law enforcement.  When I started with the Olathe PD, I learned there was such a thing as a School Resource Officer, and I served in that capacity for 9 years, with the goal that what I lived through many years ago wouldn't happen on my watch.  Through that time, I learned I loved to be in the schools, and that led me to my current position in the Olathe FD as a fire instructor at Olathe West.  A really long story really short (among so many other things that led to exactly where we're supposed to be as a family), without that shooting happening, I may not have ended up where I am.  Through extremely hard situations and circumstances, God is at work and there is something at the end that is better!  Although I really had no involvement in the shooting other than being in the next trailer classroom, that event partly shaped the path of my life, career, and assignments, as God guided all of us through that time (including Will and Laura, the children of Mrs. Farley who have fully forgiven the shooter). I truly believe that God had the end result for each of us individually in his plan, and I even though I cannot understand why that tragedy had to happen all the way back in 1988, God's process worked.  And is still working.  It always does.  It doesn't have to be a huge life-altering national news-worthy event, but I need to trust the process.  Until I get to the final day of my life, the process of God's plan and the faith I have in that will continue.  That's where the "patient endurance" comes into play from the verses at the top of the blog.  

    So it goes with life and triathlon training. I am in no way saying that an active shooter event and my triathlon training are the same thing.  I haven't had a catastrophe in my training.  I hope I don't.  Many triathletes have a bike wreck, injury, or something weird that derails them for a while.   I don't want that for me, obviously.  I also don't want something in life that derails me for a while.  And even when I don't have something big happen, I need to have patient endurance in God's plan and know that it is enough for me as I work through every day, striving toward my ultimate goal of being the man and person God made me to be and who he wants me to be.  

    That was a lot.  This week was a big week of reflection, as it normally is around the anniversary of my 8th grade year.  But good things happened as well, and I'm grateful that I can do my training, that Emma hit her 1000 points goal , Dad celebrated his 80th birthday and Rylan got his job offer.  Lots to be thankful for, and I encourage everyone to trust the process.  Stay THE Course.  

    Merry Christmas, thanks for sticking around this long today.  Until next Sunday, 

Keep fit, Stay THE Course, and keep moving forward. 

 

    10 months, 1 week, 2 days, 12 hours, 18 minutes to IM Florida