Motivation

This past week seems to have been a long one for me; but really the whole month is becoming long. For those of you who don't know how Firefighters schedules work I'll give you a brief summary as there are a few different variations. Here are 3 of the more popular versions:  the 48/96, that's 48hrs on/96hrs off; a 24/48, 24on/48off; and then there's my schedule which has 3 days on in a rotation with a day off in between. After your third shift, you then get 4 days off. So this week, it's a Mon-Wens-Fri on shift, and then Sat-Tues off on my four day. But this 4 day, along with every other 4 day this month, has an extra shift tossed in. So I'm getting, at max, 2 days off in a row for this entire month. I know that people who work a regular office schedule would say that I'm still getting 2 days off together, just like them, and I should quit my whinning. But those are the same people who go home after 8, maybe 9, hours. When I'm at work, I'm away from home for 24+ hours. So this month has been dragging. It doesn't help that the kids are sick, which makes them fussy, whinney and act out. It also means less sleep too. Mostly for Shawna because she's the mother hen; and can't sleep when she hears the kids coughing or knows that they aren't feeling well. To top it off, when I did get out of bed to try and console the daughter, she flipped out even worse and wanted nothing to do with me. That was the first time she's ever done that! So a lot of it has fallen onto Shawna's shoulders, and I wish that there was more that I could do at times to help.
With the training getting into full swing, my sleep hasn't been stellar either. I've really been trying to get to bed earlier than 11 o'clock. Most of the time it is barely working (think 10:58). Then it's up early to try and get my first workout in. It doesn't matter if I'm heading to work, or already at work, I still try to get up early so I can, at least, make sure I get one good workout in. Last week was a decent week for me. I got all my endurance workouts done, and only missed 2 strength and conditioning workouts. It doesn't matter how many workouts I get done, I'm always bugged by the one's that I missed. One of the things about trying to get to bed early, is that I won't get a late night work out done. It was common place for me to get in the garage at 10 o'clock in the evening to hit the weights if I hadn't done my workout yet. I can't afford to do that anymore. I'd rather try to use that time to get to bed earlier and get more sleep. More sleep = better recovery. Better recovery means that I will perform better and get stronger and faster.
But when that alarm goes off at 0530, I wake up and lay in bed. Why? is the question I ask myself. Why am I getting up? Why shouldn't I just roll over and sleep another hour and a half? There are multiple reasons why, and here are a few.....
Because no one ever had true success without discpline
Because if I want to suceed, I need to get moving
Because if I don't get up and workout, it'll eat at me all day, even until I'm back in bed later than night.
Because if I get up now and workout, I'll have more time to spend with the kids when they are awake.

It's really the last one that gets me going more than anything else. If I can get up, and get my workout in, then I'll be able to spend more time with the kids while they are awake. As it is, I try to get my second workout of the day in during nap time. Although boy #1 usually already has nap time planned out on what he's going to be doing with daddy, and it's very hard to turn him down when all he wants to do is play.

The swimming is coming along. I've noticed that I seem to be able to get into a more stretched out, streamlined position when I breath from my left side, which is opposite of how I've always taken my breath. But it seems to work. I just need to continue to practice, and force myself to only breath on the left and stretch out. It's hard though, as when I start getting tired, I breath from my right side and it all goes down hill from there. Thursdays are supossed to be rest days, but I'm using it as a lite swim day, really working on just my technique more than anything else. Not really counting laps, just working on form.
On the bike, I got some good workouts done. Got some good Crossfit Endurance intervals done, and I also threw in a strength cycling dvd after one of the intervals. Everything seems to be moving smoothly on the bike. I'm hoping that I can increase my average speed from around 18-18.5 which is where it is now, to 20+.  If I can average 20mph on the bike, then the bike course will take me just under 3 hours.
Running is running. Got some intervals in during the week and did an 8 mile run early Sunday morning before heading home from work. I don't know what it is about the treadmil at the Parma fire station, but my big toe on the right side is always sore after any distance run. I don't seem to have that problem on the treadmill at any of the Nampa stations, or when I run outside. But I did my 8 miles, as it was the first longer distance run I've done in probably close to a month. 8 miles in one hour wasn't too bad, it gave me a 7:30 pace which is kind of just a crusing pace for me when it comes to longer distances. If I kept that pace for an entire half marathon, that would give me a 1:45 time.  Eventually, I'll get the one long run a week out closer to 15 miles, which will be 2 miles beyond the half marathon of the 70.3 Boise Ironman.
All that's left to say is that I found, and bought a tri top; and I'm hoping that it fits. It was on super clearance sale, and while I can return it if need be, I'm hoping that I don't have to. I also have been shopping for wetsuits and am now debating between 2 different used suits. The value minded part of me says to buy the cheaper, Profile-design suit as it's my first year in the sport and I don't need to go all out and get an amazing suit to start. I should buy that one, and in a year or two, upgrade to a nicer, more expensive suit. The competetive side of me says screw the upgrade for later, buy the nicer suit that you really want NOW. The other suit is an Orca Sonar. It doesn't help that I'd get an almost brand new suit for more than half off, or that it's the most popular "mid-level" suit out there. I need to just make up my mind and buy one, as it is, I'm definately going to need one for the event. Decisions, decisions........