Transition Week

“The interval between the decay of the old and the formation and the establishment of the new, constitutes a period of transition which must always necessarily be one of uncertainty, confusion, error, and wild and fierce fanaticism” - John C. Calhoun

It's transition week in my training! After spending the last five months working on speed and building to Saturday's race, I have this week off. Specifically, my coach said the following:

This will be a transition week. Work out only as you like, and keep EVERY effort light and fun. There's certainly no need for weights this week; yoga, sure. Take a little time to reflect on the first half of the season and to think about just what you'd like to target as goals as you work toward B2B.

In the spirit of reflection and recommitment, I've taken time each morning for seated meditation. I sit. I breathe. I notice when my mind tries to chatter away. I attempt to let the chatter float on by. I notice when it resists. And I breathe some more.

Monday was glorious. I slept in. I read the entire paper and enjoyed two full cups of coffee with my husband. I sat for 10 minutes. I got to work a little early and was productive and then arrived at my evening yoga class completely relaxed.

Nirvana here I come.

Tuesday was good and more of the same. I took an easy 30 minute run around my neighborhood - no heart rate monitor, iPod blaring -- and then sat for 15 minutes with a mind that was a bit more chatty than the day before.

When IS that alarm I set going to go off?!? Hmmmm.....

This morning, I woke up before my alarm at my usual "I have a crazy day and need to get my workout(s) in" early morning hour. Tossed and turned. Felt antsy. Puttered around the kitchen. Debated whether or not I should go to pool. Puttered around a bit more and pulled out my yoga mat. Practiced for a solid 30 minutes, resisting the desire to do anything that felt particularly physically challenging, and then sat for another 15 minutes.

Oh, that felt good. I'm comfortable sitting now. Breathe. It's been a wonderful first half of the year. Saturday was so hard -- but so motivating. Breathe. What are my goals for the rest of the year? Do I need to do laundry tonight? Breathe. Breathe. Is that meeting today or tomorrow afternoon? Why did she say it THAT way? What did he mean when he said....? Breathe. Breathe. I'm going to lose endurance!! And speed!! What if I lose motivation? It's nice sleeping in. Wait - what if I gain weight!? I should have gone to the pool. Stop being silly. You KNOW better than this. Wait, wait, wait, no judgment, remember - just notice. Breathe. Breathe. Grrrrr..... Breathe.

Ah, transition week.