Thursday, July 26, 2007

"Distance Creep" and foolish optimism.

I wanted to say thanks for all the encouraging words I've gotten on my finishing worry freak-out. Krissy emailed me and helped me to put it in perspective. I mean, the best I can do is train, and then show up and do my best, right?

I was reading AndreaSue's blog yesterday about "distance creep". I have a 100 mile ride scheduled for this weekend. I figure "Distance Creep" is one of the benefits of training; you're less freaked out by the longer distances.

At work yesterday one of the other teachers told me that she actually walked her very first 5K this summer. I was thinking, that's so cute! but not in a nasty, condescending sort of way. I was thinking of my first 5K almost wistfully, the way you think things like, Man, if I could redo my senior year in high school I would SO blow them away with how much more I know now.

I was also thinking that it was interesting that she singled me out to tell me about this, since, I guess, most people would say, "OMG, three miles? WHY?"

In that vein, my training today will be a triathlon, out of order, with really long transition times. I have a 50 mile bikethat I was supposed to do two days ago. Then I'm going to hit the pool for 2000 meters. Then I'll eat, go over to the high school and get Mini-baboo registered for his Junior year.

Then in the hottest part of the day, per the Jimmy, I'm scheduled to do a 7 mile run, down on the bosque, where it's nice and humid. Yay. You know I loves me some heat. The feeling of the sweat rolling down parts of me - where can I get me some more of that? And the river flies biting my slow-moving ass? Mmmmmm.

And it occurs to me, the only part of this day that I'm worried about finishing is getting Mini-baboo registered for school. I mean, standing in line for 30 whole minutes. Ugh!

So I figure that at least part of all the training and the miles and the miles and the miles for the Ironman has to do with preparing me emotionally for the distance, so that I don't say, OMG 100 miles? and instead I say, 100 miles. Well, here we go. Where's those four water bottles I froze yesterday? Are my fig Newtons still in the drawer?

Yesterday I 'volunteered' for registration for the new school year, which starts August 9th. (Ack!) Right after I got there the secretary pulled me aside and asked me if I wanted to "comp" my time. In other words, the two days I was going to take off to do "your iron race thing in Kentucky," would I like to come in and do registration and then get those days off instead of using up my two personal days?

Hell, yes I would! I was planning to do the 25-miler when Baboo and Bigun have their big show-down at the Tri-101 in the fall and was wondering how I was going to get that time off.

Lesson learned: go head and sign up for that race, even if you don't know how you're going to get there or get time off or pay for it or anything. Was this a lesson I needed to learn?
(Is this a new GeekGirl law, perhaps GeekGirl's Law of Foolish optimism?)

Anyway as much as I dread going to work today, it primes me for fall. Gets me into the right mood. This year I'll be a "floater" because we don't have enough classrooms. I won't have my own room; I'll share rooms with other teachers during their "off" period. I've done it before. It's no big deal. I'm also switching to teaching Algebra, something I did for about five years, by choice. It's actually easier than teaching science; there's fewer props involved.

On the downside, it means I won't get to decorate a room in Happy Bunny posters, something I've sorely been wanting to do. So, I'll have to put them on my teacher blog. Parents are always thrilled by stuff like that "Uh, Mrs. P? I was wondering if, you know, we could talk about some of the posters you have? They seem a little, uh, you know, not related to academics."

On the upside, administrators are extra grateful that you're willing to put up with it and they kind of afford you some latitude when you need a bit of time off. Or when you show up wearing a pair of crop pants, cycling sandals, and a race T-shirt instead of "professional dress".

It's disturbing how I'm beginning to manipulate my professional life to conform to triathlon.

Anyhoo, extra time off will be useful because I'm already thinking ahead to IMCDL next June. This means my longest and hardest workouts will occur while I'm still teaching, in May. I can't imagine fitting all these in while working and trying to wrap up a semester, when the kids are at their most hyper. Yikes! But, It'll work out. GeekGirl's law of foolish optimism says so.

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18 comments:

  1. If I believed in that Laws of Attraction stuff I'd say you attract what you need by thinking about it - but I MUCH prefer the Law of Foolish Optimism :)
    I wish you'd been my maths teacher, I might have passed

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  2. That's a great law, too bad you don't teach physics and then you could introduce it right along with those laws by Newton.

    I'm sure that you're going to be fine at IMKY, although I can see you've already come to the same conclusion. Enjoy those long days you've got coming. They're way beyond what I can mentally grasp, some day, I hope.

    Glad things worked out with the comp time, too.

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  3. I like this new law. Hmmm ever thought of putting Van Halens Hot for Teacher video on the sidebar?

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  4. Rowdy kids might prove to be excellent motivators.

    The kids are acting up and you think to yourself, "Man, what I wouldn't give to be out on a 100-mile bike ride."

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  5. Math rules. I like wrenching winz's idea of the VH video. You and your hubby are so well prepared for this that I think after it is all said and done and the finisher's medal is on you and you have the t-shirt (yes it's all about the shirt) you will look back and be so proud of the work you have put in. You guys will so rock Kentucky. There will be people moving back to New Mexico just to hang and train with you. J-Wim loves happy bunny by the way so we have a large assortment of stuff and sometimes I see that bunny in my sleep.

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  6. I LOVE Happy Bunny!

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  7. "It's disturbing how I'm beginning to manipulate my professional life to conform to triathlon."
    Priorities!

    re: GeekGirl's Law of Foolish Optimism
    Perhaps where there's a will there's a way.

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  8. I love your laws- I always sign up and figure it out later. Got to have your priorities.

    You are really doing well on your training. When does the taper begin?

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  9. Correction - "It's awesome how I'm beginning to manipulate my professional life to conform to triathlon."

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  10. Van Halen's hot for teacher. Hmmmm. I'll have to think about it.

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  11. Mike the T shirt whore took my thoughts and posted them before I could.
    Yeah for manipulating the system to fit your needs!

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  12. Love the Happy Bunny Spaz Juice!!!

    p.s. thanks for the shout-out...but there's no "e" in Andra. Hee hee.

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  13. I love this epiphany: "It's disturbing how I'm beginning to manipulate my professional life to conform to triathlon." The way I figure, when I bike 22 miles to get to school, I am 100% justified in wearing whatever the H I please. And thank you.

    Sweeeeet on the comp time. Now you can just think of the big day.

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  14. "(Is this a new GeekGirl law, perhaps GeekGirl's Law of Foolish optimism?)"

    Trust me, that's how I live every day!! lol

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  15. It's all about "manipulating your professional life to make room for triathlon"-! And take ALL your sick and personal days. You won't ever regret it!
    Love the bunny posters!
    Best of luck on registration and workouts! (I HATE those flies that just want to hitchhike!)

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  16. My school needed someone to pick up ONE class of P.E. I'm the triathlete teacher in the building, so I was nominated. I won't have a clue what I'm doing, but I'm SO excited that I get to wear the crop pants, sandals and race t-shirts to work!!!! That's another example of triathlon manipulating professional life. LOVE IT!

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  17. "Distance Creep" - I LOVE it! It really is the perfect way to describe the mental process we go through.

    And it so totally doesn't suck, as opposed to Feature Creep, which makes us want to murder people in their cubicles.

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  18. HAPPY BUNNY ENERGY DRINK!?!!?!!?
    I MUST try that!!!

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 I'm no longer involved in multisport or endurance sports. I've started my own business, a psychotherapist specializing in anxiety d...