February - Where did you go?

So, I'm totally torn about the fact that we are now in March and the days keep marching along (ha ha, I couldn't resist).  Right now, I'm feeling a bit like our dog Milo:

You know, grumpy, humiliated and out of sorts because he's wearing a costume!  (It's amazing what you find when you start cleaning and clearing out as you have to move all of your shit!)

Okay, I have no costumes on, but things are kind of starting to freak me out.  The move is really happening.  We emptied our bank accounts.  We bought a house.  We are adults.  We have a lot of stuff to do.

But before I freak out about all of the changes that are taking place and will take place, I'd like to reflect for a moment on the month of February which was a pretty dam good month! School-wise, it felt like a long month, despite being short.  But, like most good things, I didn't know how great it was until it had passed me by.  I will say that the first weekend of March was pretty awesome too, but back to February - we went out a ton, saw good friends, had a long weekend, ate and drank well, and enjoyed some terrific weather.  What more do I need to say?

As for my priorities (more on the priorities thing in another post), I managed to focus more on training than I expected without feeling that I was "focused".  At the end of January, I reacquainted myself with my bike and remembered how much fun it is to spend time in the saddle!  As I've already written, my running has come back in a way that makes me very happy, although I'm still a bit worried about the occasional plantar fasciitis flare-up and take steps to mitigate that possibility.  Finally, swimming - well, I started to swim with a work colleague and she kicks my ass and makes me go faster and harder.  It's a humiliating experience, but I do think that I push myself way more because of her.  Also, she's a former D1 swimmer and still coaches, so she has great ideas for different sets.  Today, for example, we met at 5:30 am (ugh) and she had us do lots of 75s and then a 300 set that focused on breathing and then 25s that also focused on breathing (taking 3 breaths, then 2 breaths, then 1 breath then 0 breath - a different kind of challenge!).

The funny thing about my 'training' at this point - first of all, I don't think it's all that focused, in part because I've been afraid that I'd feel totally burned out by the summer, exactly the time when I need to kick it up, if I had a MAJOR PLAN.  So, no set plan but plenty of swim, bike, run.  More importantly,  I've really enjoyed the training I've done, and, when I look back on where I was last year at this time, I am - knock on wood - at a better place in terms of speed and distance and just how I feel in general.  I didn't plan on comparing, but out of curiosity, I took a glance at my very informal training log from last year (an agenda, I'm so old-school), and I'm kicking my own ass!  

Of course, all of this could change and devolve in the month of March which appears, at this point, to be a beast.  At least people aren't dressing me up in terrible costumes, taking pictures of me and posting them on the internet.  Life could be worse!

On a final note - Milos AND Gus, equally indignant and humiliated.  Happy packing to us all!