“The tendinous part of the mind, so to speak, is more developed in winter; the fleshy, in summer. I should say winter had given the bone and sinew to literature, summer the tissues and the blood.” ~John Burroughs
John Burroughs (1837-1921) was a literary naturalist. He studied “the way” and shared his perceptions of the natural world. John’s observations related to fish, birds, flowers, sky, religion and philosophy. If John were alive today he would so be one of my best buds. Interesting fella.
These past winter months have been high-quality, although my personal preference will always be those of summer. The time spent indoors has led to exploration in other aspects of life, which in turn will hopefully help the whole. Winter hours have been spent reading, writing, listening, thinking, searching, learning and experiencing the arts. Workouts have been happening…just not as “play” oriented as summer. The spinning rooms and treadmill cinemas can get lonely, but I never seem to feel alone when I can look up and see the open sky. Boxing has definitely lit the spark for me a few times this winter. Punching bags recently became new favorite toys. I’ve just invested in some pink boxing gloves so that I can pretend to be girl Rocky more frequently. After discovering the enjoyment of boxing, I also heard that Chrissie Wellington’s coach was a former professional boxer. Boxing is challenging. Plus it cultivates a little more aggression, builds strength, coordination and increases confidence. But most importantly…it’s fun.
This past week marked the first outside bike ride of the season. A friend and I rode 40 miles and it felt good. It’s amazing how much the time flies under the big bright sky. Springforward should be considered a holiday. It would be one of my favorites for sure. The long bike ride made me excited for the spring and summer months to come. Excited for Tuesday play dates with Reser riders and Saturday morning play dates at Ceasar Creek. Excited to play with speed, form and heart rate. Excited to play with old and new friends. Excited to play throughout the Midwest US and the hills of Spain and France. Excited to let things happen and experience some more adventures.
“Play is the only way the highest intelligence of humankind can unfold.” ~Joseph Chilton
Once again this year, I’m going to avoid the rigid goal setting and establish a few tri-specific performance ideas to play around with this summer.
1. Complete American Triple T in Portsmouth, OH on May 18, 19, 20th in under 13 hours
2. Complete ITU Long Course World Championships in Vitoria-Gastiez, Spain on July 29th in under 8 hours
The time has finally come to play outside once again. Goodbye to freezing wind, winter coats and runny noses. Hello to sunshine, open windows, rainstorms and tank tops. I'm ready to start the tri-adventures of 2012.
...in the night the stormy night she closed her eyes and dreamed of paradise…
limitless
limitless
