No, I didn't die.

Early Bird Women 2009 Team.
Love these ladies!

 
I'm sure somebody out there began to wonder if, maybe, something awful had happened, right?

Nope. Nothing awful. Just the insanity of life over the past two months.

Between buying a house, moving the office, renovating extensively and having several other things to keep me busy in between, there really hasn't been much time for writing.

 Yoga keeps me grounded.
I got to pose for Three Dog Yoga as they build their website up!
www.threedogyoga.com
Photo credit: Shelby Erickson, Erickson Design

 

Besides plain busyness though, there has been something else on my mind that I think has kept me from writing:

Contemplation of change.

The longer I went without writing, the more I began to think about blogging and whether to continue. One thing that has troubled me over the past year is that I don't have the time to be part of the blog community the way I used to. All those links you see on the left-hand side of this entry are people's blogs I have enjoyed reading at one time or another. Some of those people became Facebook friends. Others have become awesome real-life friends. I've made real friendships from this blog community! I miss it!

True, ultimately I write for myself. I started this blog 4.5 years ago that way. But as I got to know others around the web and the triathlon community, it gave me an added incentive to write. I found inspiration and great advice from others.  Sharing my story was a way to be part of that community, to offer my own mistakes and experiences to the mix.

Additionally, my life is rapidly changing before my very own eyes. Hard to believe that indeed, I started this blog nearly half a decade ago, during a very different time in my life. It began as a way to record my adventure into this strange world of triathlon, as a way to log my experiences and remember them as I went forward.

As I ready myself to begin the last year of my 20s, I find myself embarking down a new path to start new journeys. Similar, but different, with different goals. I'm different:

I don't feel the need to prove myself as much as I did 5 years ago.
I've got more confidence than I ever have.
I'm aware of where my athletic talents lie (5 years ago I didn't even think I was capable of running a 10K. In fact, I was contemplating SWIMMING a 10K!).
I have a better sense of direction in my life.
I know what sport is my favorite (cycling).
I am SO much better at listening to my body. I know when it's telling me to rest and I know how to obey it.
I don't freak out about missing workouts.
I know what Gu is.

And so on. Reflection is a lot of fun when you realize you've come a long way.

In fact, perhaps I've neglected writing because I don't identify with this blog the way I used to.

"Sarah's Triathlon Adventure?" I think. "But I haven't done a triathlon in over a year!" The words 'Sarah' and 'triathlon' in the same sentence suddenly seems strange. Past races are foggy memories where only the best parts seem to shine through, the way the photos on your walls all remind you of a happy or joyful memory in your life.

So I guess you could say I'm movin' on. Not to say I wouldn't ever race triathlons anymore. Never say never. But racing my bike this year was absolutely, phenomenally fantastic and I can't wait for more next year. I can honestly say that I wait for winter training to start, either! 

As for the blogging – I DO want to continue to write, even if I don’t have as much time to go out and read others’ adventures. Still, something has to change: it is time for a new blog. It's kind of like a photo album, where I'd label this one "Triathlon Years, 2004-2009". Nothing wrong with this one, simply time to start a new one. One that will include not only bike-related adventures but also many of my culinary adventures. My friend Jo Ann inspired me recently to get back into the kitchen and I've been having a great time with it. I want to have a blog where I can do a better job of recording my recipes and making them easier to archive and find.

Until that time, however, my goal is to write at least once every two weeks. Life is finally beginning to settle back down and my time is becoming a little freer. It's time to pick up the pencil (keyboard) and let the thoughts flow.

Feels good to be back. :)  

   9/7/09: Giro de San Francisco. I placed 12th out of 40. Was definitely hoping for Top 10 but I’ll have to save that for next year!

 

<---- Me in a 4-woman breakaway with 5 laps to go! (They caught us a lap later)

Photo credits: Veronika Lenzi, http://www.veronikalenzi.com/