2015

2014 is in the books.

The Good:
- A return to some structured training
- A walking and talking toddler.  Love. 
- Increased skill at navigating family + work + training
-Watching my husband stay healthy enough to play soccer, enjoy a new hobby in Crossfit, get a new position at work that he likes, and thrive overall
- Becoming an Enell Ambassador, another year on the Wattie Ink Team, and keeping it local with Los Locos Racing
- Getting some miles under my belt with a few small races and a return to swimming
- Becoming more flexible with what training looks like with my limited time
- Backing up my words that I want to be a present mom for Diggies by limiting my training and work to be her mom
- Increasing my time in the kitchen as a vegetarian chef

The Frustrating:
- Getting a full night of sleep only 5 times in the entire year
- A broken rib that took forever to heal- followed by...
- Back pain that has been difficult to treat
- Job and career struggles
- Income struggles from above
- Followed by....what in the hell am I doing?  Who am I?  How does my career define me, or does it?  What do I want out of work and career?  How does that fit with how I want to be as a mother?
- Starting off my race season with hope and watching it fizzle out with the worst racing of my "career"
- Logging lots of zeros and not being able to work with coaches in the way I know I can do deep down
- Never setting goals this year and just hovering in the participation category with my racing.  No wonder I didn't see progress.   

New for 2015
- More selfies and more smiles.
- Return to racing with gusto.
- Goal to run a strong fall/winter marathon-  No more putting it off!
- Cut house debt by 50%.  (We are debt free except for the house, and we are almost there.  I am determined to breathe free air in the house one day!)
- Lose the guilt I feel when I don't work "enough" and stop feeling the need to explain to people why I don't put my daughter in full time daycare so I can work or train more. 
- More triathlon and running goals.  On paper.  With purpose and conviction.  
- Listen more.  Know-it-all less.  Learn.
- Follow up.  This year really exposed this as a weakness.  
- Continue to give to my sponsors, teams, and triathlon with increased energy and love

There is so much more to say about the upcoming year, and it would never fit on the blog if I could even find a way to put it into words.  I can say that 2015 has been kind so far in 2 short days.  I have seen some watts on my CT that I haven't seen in 3 years.  I swam my fastest intervals today since spring of 2012.  Work has been a positive place for me this week.  Isla had a great night and morning to start of 2015 ...AND.... said "mama beautiful" yesterday when we were looking in the mirror.  How is that for starting off 2015?  :)

And, some Isla holiday pics to wrap it up.  :)

Isla was daddy's corn hole helper at Christmas in New Orleans. 

And she looked like she should live in the mountains at our Memphis Christmas.  (hat compliments of dad from Peru)

And...my girly girl with some clip-on earrings.  Love it.  :)