When I saw the cover of this month’s USA Triathlon Magazine, it gave me pause. Few things do that because I’m always going 100 miles an hour, 24 hours a day. But when I saw the words DREAMING SEASON emblazoned beneath a picture of a cyclist with a gorgeous stretch of road ahead, I instantly loved the idea and what it represented.

Once I read the articles surrounding what apparently TrainingPeaks originally coined as “The Dreaming Season” I had a complete change of perspective on the months ahead, and not just in racing.

If I think about this time as an opportunity to dream big (Duathlon World Championships), dream differently (setting a PR at the Half IM in my age group at 44) and just dream about what may lie ahead, I’m filled with an excited calm. Excited because this is the beginning of it all and calm because dreams don’t necessarily have to become reality. In fact, some of the best dreams are left in my head. Let’s see what else went on up there this past week…

WEEK OF JANUARY 7, 2018

RUNNING

Unfortunately for my body, I was still battling a cold last week. My mind did not seem to give a shit but luckily my coach knows me way better than I know myself and gave me very manageable workouts. I still also think I can go snowboarding for 8 hours over a weekend and then just pick up where I left off on a Monday. Apparently that’s not how this body works anymore. Damn you 40s! I will fight you every step of the way.

Tuesday – 20 min run off the bike, building to Z4 | 3.08 miles | 8:13 avg pace

Thursday – power hill runs before bike | 4.9 miles | 8:48 avg pace

Friday – long run | 8.2 miles | 8:20 avg pace

Sunday – easy run off the bike | 4.1 miles | 8:40 avg pace

Total = 20.28 miles

CYCLING

I’m dreaming of riding outside in warmer temperatures and I may get that opportunity in February. More on that later. Until then, I’ll be on the trainer in the basement watching Netflix and no, I have not seen Bird Box and I can’t really say I want to.

I had this exchange with a friend of mine about it. My responses are in blue…

And I really do mean that I can’t stand when little kids are involved in horrifying films! Although I did love A Quiet Place, so maybe I’ll give it a chance when I have absolutely nothing else to watch.

Tuesday – ride then run | 48:01 minutes | 13 miles

Thursday – run then ride | 1 hour | 16.3 miles

Sunday – FTP intervals + run off the bike| 1:15:00 | 21.5 miles

Total = 50.8 miles

SWIMMING + STRENGTH

I’m happily back to strength training on Mondays and I have a new a trainer who is a better fit for what I’m working toward. We have a great plan for the next 13 weeks and all the work I’m doing with him will only ensure I make it to the starting line as strong as possible!

…and also so I can do this every weekend and not get injured!

Monday – 45 minutes of strength with Antwan then swim | 1,800 yards

Wednesday – pull buoy work | 2,100 yards

Total = 3,900 yards

THINGS I LOVE

I’m dreaming of flawlessly playing The Scientist on the piano but, until then, I will continue perfecting Ode to Joy!

Did I mention my husband surprised me with a new piano for Christmas? He does stuff like that.

A work in progress, just like the rest of me…

I continue to adore my piano teacher and he’s enthusiastically helping me with my Coldplay dreams.

THINGS I DON’T LOVE AS MUCH

Interrupting regularly scheduled programs to listen to that buffoon in the white house. I mean honestly. Is there truly a need for this anymore? Who among us lacks the technology to get a live stream or updated news report about what’s happening in the palm of their hand or, at the very least the nearest laptop?

Please, for the love of everything that is sacred, stop interrupting Ellen, with her overflow of hilarity and kindness, for that moronic bully. Thank you.

READING

A Prayer for Owen Meany has finished for another year. I know you were all dying to find out when that was going to happen. I am now down to three books and should be ready for the first Book Club meeting of the month.

I came across one very interesting article to share:

How to Hold A Healthy Grudge by Jolie Kerr for The New York Times

I knew there was a good reason I was holding onto some of this stuff and Sophie Hannah literally wrote the book on it — “How to Hold A Grudge,” and Kerr explains everything in seven steps.

“The crucial difference in the way Ms. Hannah views grudges is that she believes a grudge is not a feeling. Rather, it’s a story that one can learn and benefit from. “When there’s some kind of suboptimal thing that somebody has done to us, the grudge is our story that we remember about that incident, because it benefits you to have that story remembered.”

And yes, some of them are positive like “use your grudge stories to forgive and make you a better person.”

Good luck with that.

TELEVISION

My kids are officially obsessed with everything Marvel. And, I have to say I have a small obsession with Thor and also tiny, little, baby Groot. Make of that what you will.

In the past two weeks I have seen Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 1 and 2, Thor Ragnarok, Avengers (the first one, I guess?) and Civil War and I’m loving it. These movies are seriously so good! I know, I know, welcome to 2009. I was a little busy having twins that year so give a girl a break.

One thing I definitely did not watch with my boys but was dying to see because of them, was the documentary Three Identical Strangers. It’s one of the most incredible stories I have ever heard and would never believe it was true if the triplets involved did not tell the story themselves.

Three Identical Strangers tells the astonishing true story of three men who make the chance discovery, at the age of 19, that they are identical triplets, separated at birth and adopted to different parents. The trio’s joyous reunion in 1980 catapults them to fame but it also sets in motion a chain of events that unearths an extraordinary and disturbing secret that goes far beyond their own lives – a secret that goes to very heart of all human behavior.

You can’t imagine where this story will take you. It’s heartbreaking (even if you don’t have multiples), inspiring and fascinating. Even though I obviously knew they find each other, I was on the edge of the couch smiling like an idiot while watching them re-live their reunions.

And, just when you think you know the whole story, there’s more. A lot more.

RANDOM PICTURES OF THE WEEK

So this happened…

They also have pallet expanders. I had a pallet expander when I was in second grade way back in 1983! Thank God they have come a long way because mine was so painful that I would cry every time my mom turned the key to “expand” my jaw. I also tried to rip it out and succeeded in getting it halfway off my mouth before being dragged into the dentist to have it cemented back on.

I’m dreaming that the journey to widening their mouths goes a lot smoother!

What are you dreaming about this season?

Do you have a favorite Marvel hero?W