I have done one of their sprint Tri's and it was fantastic. I am registered for a Tri clinic, Santa Cruz Tri & also their SF run. A very inspiring series of events for women.
Click the link below to look at the events they offer:
Mermaid Series
Feeling Life, Not Just Moving Through It
Feeling uncomfortable is not a popular state of mind and I have many friends who think it's crazy when I push myself physically to states of discomfort that they think are unnatural.
I was running this past weekend with my husband in the woods and had to laugh at myself realizing once again how all things come together and how lucky I am to be a part of life. The most we had been running was around 4 miles as I have been recovering from a recent hysterectomy. We decided on a whim to go for one of our favorite runs which is around 17 miles. I'm not sure what we were thinking but well, what the heck, it was beautiful outside.
When we were 12 miles in, we kind of started to lose our minds, laughing at the silliness of what we were doing and then it hit me all of sudden how uncomfortable I was! I loved being uncomfortable. I know it sounds crazy but I talk to my team all the time about being in that state, and I was glad to be there. I hadn't felt it in awhile (self inflicted discomfort that is) and I remembered why I think it's so great.
When I've run too far, my body is so tired, I don't know if I can take another step. Each one I take feels like it is my last, it feels as if wherever I land in that last step is where I'll have to stay. Then I remember that I have to get back to my car. I find out that no matter what, if I have to walk to my car so slowly that I can see the flowers blooming along side the trail that I will get there. That really, no matter what, I will make it to my car.
Isn't life like that? It is in my life, there are many moments that I get dealt cards that I don't think I can handle and then I am reminded of times when I have run so far, pedaled my bike so many miles and swam for hours that I get to tell myself that if I can do that, I can do anything. Life is hard, it's beautiful but it's hard, knowing that I can get through moments that I didn't think I could get out of makes life's uncertainty less painful. I feel empowered knowing that I can tackle what lies ahead of me and gives me hope for the future knowing that if I can get through some of the physical tests I've put myself through I can probably get through anything life hands my way.
When I've run so far that I'm left with nothing but my thoughts... I am reminded of who I really I am. It's difficult when you are pushing yourself beyond your breaking point to not really be who you are. You can't hide behind any made up image or idea that someone else created for you, it's just you and yourself. It's sometimes a scary place to be but mostly it's a great place to be. When you've run far enough that you have run out of excuses to stop what you are doing, your mind is free, it has time to really think and to expand and to embrace what your life has to offer you. I find myself actually FEELING life and not just moving through it.
BEING uncomfortable as opposed to just seeing it and passing it by are two very different things. We are told so often to just by-pass discomfort, to do whatever we can (buy something new, move on from relationships, read some quick fix book,) to move as quickly away from the moment that we miss out on something extraordinary. It's easier to walk away from stress or from hard times than it is to sit in them. What happens when we do though is wonderful, just like pushing your body physically, when you do it personally, you see who you are, how far you've come and how much you want to learn and grow.
You might be wondering what this has to do with being a Mermaid, and as far as I can tell it has EVERYTHING to do with being a Mermaid. Whatever state you are in, having trained and raced for years or just getting started, you are bound to push yourself beyond what you thought possible. My encouragement to you, wherever you land on the scale of new or seasoned athlete, push yourself, trust your body and be confident in the idea that when you have pushed yourself beyond your comfort level, a new you will emerge and you will be happy to meet her. Your workouts will be more efficient, you will feel stronger and going out for your training sessions will bring more satisfaction.
Train hard, wherever you are, knowing that each stroke, each pedal and each mile makes you stronger heart, mind and soul.
I totally subscribe to pushing oneself beyond the comfort zone, mentally, physically, spiritually, in relationships, etc. Rock on Heidi!
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