Retirement – FOMO - I know you are but what am I…


So after the Northwest Triman in June,  I said that is it I am never doing another Ironman distance Triathlon.  I officially retired from that distance and am actively pursuing all the other things I want to do.   

Joe – Yeah right
Me – No that is it – I am done no more
Joe – I don’t believe you
Me – Believe it  - I have too many things I want to do/learn. 
Joe – You say this now but you will do another

Insert just about anyone else in the Joe section and the  conversation was pretty much the same with mom, other family member, friends, neighbors, co-workers, running buddies, random strangers – ok maybe not random strangers…

Anyways you get the gist  - know one believed me.  

So what I have been doing since Triman you ask?  

Well I have kept busy not to worry – registered for a standard tri and a 10km run in September so still running, riding and swimming just not uber long distances.  I really want to do an Ultra next year and some longer bike rides or maybe some more bike touring.   Mostly I am trying to keep busy because I am missing Joe while he is away. 

  2. I have been going out on my Mountain bike trying to become proficient on it – only crashed once so far and still pretty freaked out but getting more confident each time I go out.
  3. I have reconnected with the Ladies of the Trails crew and began running trails on the mountain by my house on Thursday nights
  4. Wednesdays still run with my run crew – North Burnaby Run Club. 
  5. Saturdays  spent riding with various friends on the road bike.
  6. I have been paddle boarding a few times and really quite enjoying it –so much so I even looked at what they cost – too much by the way.
  7. I pulled out the golf clubs from the back of the cupboard and started golfing with some ladies in my hood – we are terrible but have a lot of laughs.
  8. I even got out the camping gear and went camping on my birthday weekend. I have not been camping in about 10 years.  It was a lot more work than I remember but I am pretty sure that might be because Joe usually does all the work of setting up the tent – LOL.  Either way I managed to get the tent set up, build a fire and even cook over the open fire.  It was a very relaxing weekend.

Life has been ticking along and I was planning things for next year And then IT happened – the announcement came out – Ironman was going back to Penticton….. WHATTTTT OMG OMG OMG SHUT THE FRONT DOOR OMG.

The  chatter started and I was NO – I am retired, I have things I want to do – it is a time drain, too much time, too much $$ - I am retired from that distance.  Hands over ears La La La La.  More and more of my Ironman friends were  talking about coming out of retirement and my response NO I am retired. We all talked  about it and how great it was that the race was going back to its rightful home.  Even my boss was like you have to do this and I was like No –stay strong.

Then it happened more and more of the Alumni were coming out of the woodwork saying Hell ya we are in and the Joe started chatting and FOMO (Fear of missing out) took over.  So go ahead say I told you so – yes you guessed it - I  registered and will be at the start line in Penticton for summer 2020 Ironman. 

And you know what I am excited – I am excited to swim in the lake, I am excited to ride out to OK falls and up Richters to Cawston out and back then back to town.  Excited to run through Penticton and to hear Steve King call my name one more time.  But I am most excited to be racing in Penticton – I know what this race means to the area and to that city.  It was where I did my first Ironman and it will be where I do my last Ironman - just feels right.  

I mean really I actually did an Ultra Duathlon in June because of the fog issues soooooo.

Whatever – I know you are but what am I? 

Oh the run streak – day 297 completed and the Bro-in-law got injured and had to stop so the end is in sight – only 367 more days to go till I pass him. 


Peace out
Shaun

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Best day ever!

Image
Best Day Ever.... June 1, 2008 Oliver BC I do not know where to even start - I guess with last year. Iron Mountain Triathlon - Whonnock Lake, Maple Ridge June 24th 2007 11 113 Shaunene Neilson DNF (unofficial time 8 hour - 52 minutes and some change) 5th Annual Persona Oliver Half Iron Triathlon June 1 - 2008 200 200/317 F 37/55 W4044 769 Shaunene Neilson 6:46:31 Yeah baby!!! Okay details - oh the details. It is best to start with the week and a half before the race - I have been riding with a group up Cypress on Wednesday nights. The second to last Wednesday I was out for my final Cypress ride before the race when my chain started skipping. Any time I got out of the saddle to accelerate the chain would jump and not to an easier gear! This was not good but I thought better now then on the race course. Took the bike into first shop and they replaced chain and cassette but it still was not fixed. Then the anxiety started to build - really hard to race...
Read more

Inside track to the Ironman Bike course

This weekend I went up to the interior to ride portions of the Ironman Course. Coach had me down for a 3.5 hour ride/1/2 hour run on Saturday and then a 15 OWS (open water swim) with a 2 - 2.5 hour ride and a 15 min run on Sunday. Judith and Cindy - 2 ladies I ride with, were also going up and agreed to take me under their wing and show me the course. They have both done Ironman a couple of times, they are absolutely amazing women. Riding with them is always empowering as it shows me I am capable and they are always full of great tips. The plan was to ride from the Bear in Keremeos backwards along the rollers and down Richter’s to Osoyoos meet up with some other ladies riding the entire course and head back up Richter’s and over the rollers back to the cars. The reason - I was not supposed to be out for more than 3.5 hours, this would let me see the much talked about Richters hill and rollers, stay close to time and get me back to my car. As well by riding backwards over the co...
Read more

For the love of running

Happy new year!  wow has it really been that long since I  posted.  I guess 2010 shows you how narcissitic (?sp) I am - barely posted at all.  Title - well after NY I had a melt down - well as best as you can when still coaching.  I have hated running for a while honestly since before NY - it was not good.  No wonder I blew up in the marathon.  I came back and was like blah...  I did my runs because I am leading a clinic but I did the bare minumum.  Sundays and Thursdays. I got out and did spin and my weekly rides but I was resentful.  Something I loved doing - my time to hook up with the green goddesses was pissing me off and making me resentful.  All was not well in my world.  I thought about it  - I mean I took a week off in NY - well okay 6 days, but still time off.  What was going on and then as usual my guardian angel - Judith - saw it and called me out.  I knew it in my heart I just did not want...
Read more