A Triathlon. A Triathlon.

I'm at a pivotal point in my life this week. It is very unlikely that my divorce will NOT be final within the next few days. My soon to be ex-husband has been enjoying parent time with the children in his new home on extended weekends and every Thursday night. That leaves me with time on my hands, which is something I have not experienced often as the mother of five. Time on my hands could be a bitter enemy if I allowed myself to wallow in the absence of my children. Friends have encouraged me to stay busy, and I quickly understood that their counsel was a literal life-line for me. I've tackled projects which would otherwise have been impossible with my children here. This weekend, I painted bathrooms. Soon, with the help of family and friends, I'll get the baseboards back on my walls which have been missing for 2 1/2 years. I have some desires to garden and landscape my yard. I have been reading more. I knew I needed more, however. I needed something to focus on over a long period of time, and I needed physical exercise.

I've decided to compete in a triathlon, or better said, start training to compete. I have never run for exercise, although I have walked. I have never biked for exercise - except very minimally at a gym. In high school I swam, and though I wasn't gifted by any means - I loved it. My sisters are runners, some from very early on and some only within the last couple of years, and they have been competing in marathons and half-marathons. It has been inspiring to me to witness the enjoyment and purpose it gives them to train and work hard for those goals. Running has never appealed to me at any level, but still - I was inspired. Triathlon seemed like a natural choice for me, given my love of swimming. Better yet, it would allow me to incorporate other forms of exercise into my training. I've tried swimming alone for exercise, and it is very difficult, time-wise. If I have three areas of concentration, I can suit my training to the amount of time I have, which will vary greatly. Since I know I will have every Thursday night for example, I can plan to swim on Thursday nights. As all of these thoughts began to mesh and come together in my mind, I developed a desire which has become a resolve, to set the goal and start the work. The goal is to be ready within one year. It is realistic, and yet still challenging. It feels wonderful.

Find ways within the construct of your life to meet your real needs. Set real and realistic goals for yourself. At one point, my goal was simply to learn more about and begin a yoga program. That blessed my life at the time, because it was breaking a cycle and putting my needs first in a way which I had not done before. If there are cycles with keep you trapped in unhealthiness, center your goals there. They have to be simple and focused on real possibilities. Let the Spirit guide you, a those goals will bring you out into the light. You deserve it, and the ones who love and depend on you will benefit as much as you do.