Thoughts on the road home

Although I had intended to start this blog with a bit of recap, I've been thinking on the drive home (while riding, not driving), and I've felt that I share perhaps a bit of my discoveries. This is the first vacation I've taken since I've been really focused on exercise & nutrition, and let me say - it was HARD! My initial reaction to things was to stick hard to routine & diet. I felt that with me being only a couple weeks from my next triathlon, I had to focus on working out and eating well. After all, I would have as much control over what I ate and I would have more time to workout. Well, guess what - I failed. Failure, of course, is a relative term, but as I ate with my kids and went out for seafood, I realized that it wasn't that easy. More importantly, I learned it was OK. I am slowly learning that just as I am a sinful, selfish person who messes something up every day, I am a creature of habit, and outside my habits and norms, life is hard, and I mess up. The good thing about messing up on your diet is that I think I've finally learned that one day or two does not destroy the base you've built, and that when you mess up on vacation - it's ok. You chalk it up and move forward. Now that we're getting close to home, my routine will return and I will be able to look back and say I enjoyed my vacation - not that I was so miserable focusing on diet that I forgot to savor the flavors of life that were in front of me for a few days. Tomorrow morning, my world of protein shakes and cycle rides will return - the next week will be big time getting ready for my next race. I think the time away from it all will motivate me even more. It's all about life - seizing what blessings are in front of you and living life out the way God intends - a way that honors Him and causes us to be even more thankful and driven.