New year, New goals, Old me?

Change is an interesting word.  It can be good and it can be bad.  Change can mean a loss of income or a gain in a family member.  It can mean great joy or enormous heartache.  It can mean gaining friends or losing them.  Sometimes, however, change can mean accepting what is rather than fighting it or seeking to discover reality as opposed to pushing against it.  

Moving on to other things not so philosophical.  I swam 4,250 meters yesterday with a great group!  They swam everything from 3,000 to 10,000 (MAD PROPS to those who did the whole 10k) maybe next year I will be able to do that whole 100x100s.  I discovered that I have the go juice (meaning I can go for that far and longer) but need to up the speed.  It took about 2 and a half hours to do that give or take 10 minutes and I need to shave at LEAST half an hour off that to be able to finish.  Here's to giving it my all!!

New year, New goals, New me!

It has been 2 years since I have published a blog post and it is about time I changed that.  A lot has happened since then.  I was diagnosed and treated for an autoimmune disease that causes my body to create T-cells and B-cells to treat my thyroid as though it is the enemy.  I was on medication for a while, but was able to be weaned off and live solely on a strictly regulated diet (that I have not wholly followed this December).  I have also had a broken ankle and 4 fractures in my feet (2 in each) that kept me from doing things that I love.  On the upside, I got my dream job as a 5th grade math and science teacher.  I am now whole and well and registered for my first 1/2 ironman.  On THAT note...

I took my first relatively long ride today after several months of healing and physical therapy.  I rode with 3 guys who train on a regular basis and they were incredibly kind and did not leave me even when I was incredibly slow on the uphills.  It was an incredibly difficult and long ride at times and absolutely enjoyable the entire time.  I was SO happy to be on my bike again!  Felt like flying!  I am so excited to be training and to have a goal that is attainable again.

It is an interesting conundrum knowing yourself so well in one sense of the word, and on the other hand, not knowing yourself at all.  I'm not quite certain how to articulate what I mean by this, just that I am only beginning to know one side of myself while knowing very well the other...