Be Grateful for what you are able to do today!

I am writing this after attempting to ride to the top of Mt. Lemmon in Tuscon, AZ for a fun training weekend. If you know anything about my triathlon background- I love to train and race on hilly courses. Mostly up…not so much going downhill. Since I live in the Seattle area, and I am not training for any big race, I have not been disciplined about riding in the cold, rainy season. So when my husband Neal and I went for a long weekend in Tuscon to train with my friend Shannon at her new winter home, I have only been training for a month on my bike!

Based on my twenty six years on training and racing triathlons plus cycling events, I thought I could handle riding uphill for 30 miles even though I have been only riding around 2 hours from our house in Bellevue, WA! Well… we made it out 18 miles then decided to turn around. My competitive mindset and type A personality – I had to continue to say the mantra “LET IT GO” to myself as I was riding and struggling. Why was I never appreciative of my fitness endurance level, body and strength when I was racing? I was never happy about my body or my finish time because of my swim in a triathlon… now I wish I was more appreciative of what I had as you never know what will happen in your future! Five years later… I am still rebuilding my “adrenals” and body systems from my internal “crash” from living life as a race every single day.

I learned today that I need to be happy with the amount of riding we did up Mt. Lemmon and to be out here enjoying the beautiful scenery. My goal was to go up the 30 mile hill climb and feel a sense of empowerment and accomplishment but I am not where I want to be in my fitness or health right now– not yet! I am not as fit, strong and lean as I once was in my racing days but I need to be okay with the progress I have made in the past five years since my “adrenal exhaustion” hit me March 2013. I am not happy with my body weight right now or my strength but why does that impact my mindset, confidence and self-esteem? Why does feeling super fit, amazing endurance and strength make me feel happy?

As an athlete, why do we feel better when fit, strong and lean? How do we accept where we are today and be okay with that fitness level? I have my health, a happy life and ability to be on my bike riding! Once upon a time, I was the “queen of the mountains” and first one at the top- but not at this moment and not today. I am okay with that – or working on accepting where I am today. Be happy where I am at as well as grateful for what I am able to do even though it isn’t being number one up the hill climb and not letting anyone pass me as my old self. Someday I will regain the ability to be “queen of the mountain” and cruise easily to the top without a break. Why is that important to me??

In the future, I will regain my adrenal health and improve my body systems (digestion, gut health, liver and pancreas) with commitment to my Nutritional Therapy individualized program as well as gradually increasing my bike rides. The excuse of “getting older” doesn’t cut it in my mind… we just need to spend more time focusing on recovery, rebuilding and renewing our health at a cellular level. Don’t say you are getting older because you are heavier, slower and out of shape.

Take ownership for your health as you only have one you and one body. Check out my personal story in my book LIFE IS NOT A RACE as well as my tips to transforming the whole you from the inside out with “The WHOLESTIC Method” – both available on Amazon!

Are you feeling fat, sluggish, fatigued and slow? Then you made need to slow down to speed up as well as “reboot” your internal system with my 30-day total transformation program where we renew the liver and rebuild the digestive system to improve performance in our favorite sports as well as surviving the daily rat race!

Is my career as a triathlete over as I knew it five years ago? Do I think I will be feeling fat, slow and sluggish forever? No.

Learn why in my upcoming blogs.

What is the new “trend” in fitness? REPAIR. RECOVERY. REBUILD.

New trend? Not exactly in my world. We already talk about “Biohacks for the Athlete” to improve performance in life and sports on my weekly podcast on The WHOLE Athlete.