Tri GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOALS!

Sorta sad that the USA woman's soccer team lost the world cup.  However, they came so close!  My goals are not near as lofty or prestigious or even in the same category, but are none the less they are goals.  When I first signed up for the triathlon my goal was completion and believe me that is still my goal.  However the more I follow my 11 week training schedule from http://www.trinewbies.com/tno_trainingprograms/10wtp.pdf I realize that I should probably set time goals for each event and perhaps later an over all time in order to push myself.  I have been swimming the 300meters in under 15 minutes with no problems, but I don't know if I will be able to reduce that much so my goal for swimming is 13 minutes.  Next up is the biking.  I do not have biking muscles- I never went long distances on a bike or for that matter for long periods of time when I was younger. The best it got on my bike was around the driveway.  I still struggle with making turns some days.  So that is going to be my toughest event.  It is a 20K and currently according to my schedule I rode a little over 8 miles on Sunday on the bike in a little less then 50 minutes on some hilly terrain.  I am really hoping to get my time down to 58 minutes.  This is going to be very difficult for me because I really don't like to go fast- it scares me.  Since the path doesn't look as hilly I might have a hope. Then again I have to shave off quite a bit of time.  Finally my last goal is the last event-running.  Like I said in the last blog- I am not really even running a mile completely yet.  However, I am feeling stronger with my run and my goal is 35 minutes.  Tonight I ran/ walked 2.45 miles in 30 minutes.  I do have at least 11 more weeks before the actual event so it is possible.  Especially since I am more experienced with running although I have not done it in a while.  If I was going to make a realistic overall goal including transitions at this time I am hoping for right at 2 hours. That would be sooo awesome!   I hope these goals aren't too lofty because I have never had transitioned before in a realistic hurried setting.  The 2 hour goal leaves 14 minutes for transitions that seems like alot of time, but I will probably need every second.  I have only missed one session so far and I can't beat myself up for that I just have to keep on the road.  Literally.  Tomorrow night is another night of running and swimming and biking on Wednesday.  Hopefully I don't fizzle out.
The exercise has really helped me to shed some of my anxiety about other aspects of my life right now regarding what next year will look like.  I know that God will take care of me and lead me in the right direction.  Right now I pray for peace of mind regarding whatever God has in store for me.
I have goals for my personal life right now also to get back in God's word.  Hopefully I can set a realistic schedule for that and get going also.
Last week was a great week!  I met with a couple of friends and enjoyed the camaraderie that I often miss once school starts.  I also got to take the little cutsie to the Dallas Aquarium- she loved it!  Every time I go there is more to see and the only thing that upsets me in the well maintained well researched amazon jungle feel of the aquarium is the sad lone leopard in the small cage.  I really think that it needs a bigger home.  We also went to the zoo again on Friday- the monkeys were awake since we got there when it opened and swinging around and there was a baby monkey carrying a precious piece of cardboard as its treasure all around the enclosure.  The highlight for me though this time was the snow leopard whose enclosure is at least 5 times the size of that at the Dallas Aquarium was rubbing and pacing by the glass as usual, but this time I stuck out my hand and at first he pressed his face as hard as he could where my hand was by the glass like a cat would that wanted to be petted.  Then he did it again, stopped... and all of a sudden he reared back on his back legs and batted my hand from behind the glass and then my husband tried and he did the same thing.  I have never seen him do that before!  Animals are so interesting- when I am there it makes me go back to my 5 year old self and my desire to become a vet someday.  However,  I really do thing teaching is my field and I am where I am supposed to be at least for now.