“Appa-rently”this is what I’ve been thinking.

Well…here goes nothing. I’ve always considered putting my thoughts on paper but since I don’t have a pigeon to do my dirty work, here we are!

I’m going to be using this platform to share my weekly thoughts on everything that comes with triathlon training and balancing a somewhat normal life of a teacher in Dubai. But let’s be honest, there will also be plenty of banter that comes with the daily struggles of managing it all but also the moments that make it all worth it. Now, it could be quite convenient to DM my online bf (please welcome Mr. ChatGPT) for ideas each week and essentially get him to write it. Seems pretty easy but perhaps making it sound like my masters dissertation isn’t the purpose here. My promise to myself and to any reader is that I will keep it as real as possible.

Soooooo without further ado I’ve been in bear mode…well kinda. As the long holiday season for teachers has begun, I’ve decided to swap the Dubai sunshine for the homeland. Now we’re talking Beskydy, also knows as the mountains in the Eastern part of Czech Republic. While the plan has been to ski and cross-ski during my “offseason”, the snow has yet to arrive, being blissfully unaware of my tight timeline here! Never mind that tho, I shall continue praying to the snow gods and the white fluffy stuff will appear and make my holiday! Meanwhile, my intention of fully committing to hibernation has gone down the drain as my plan to unleash my part-time winter daredevil has not been executed. And since there isn’t much to do in my village, I’ve decided to lace up my running shoes. I know right, even I was surprised!

I know my self all too well and truly understand just how much sport and exercise is connected my wellbeing. While I love chasing difficult goals and truly thrive in an environment where I am required to dedicate and give everything towards a goal, more than ever I realise just how at peace I feel when I am healthy and physically active. On a side note, I will always preach that health is truly wealth!

Anyways, it’s been pretty chilly for me having to run in 0-3 degrees celcius. As my village is in a fairly elevated mountain region, my runs usually happen at 500-1000m above sea level. While that may be considered some moderate altitude training for most, it’s been pretty steep for me. I’ve gone from hot and humid conditions which I prefer with long flat roads and nothing but sunshine hitting my face. Now I’m looking at frost on the ground, freezing wind in my face and steep hills where my music playlist seems to fade and become the background to my heavy breathing.

I’ve had mix emotions about this but I’ve also treated these runs as my down time away from the structure of training peaks and a healthy balance of speed work, tempo, easy, long and steady and brick sessions. It’s been nice to just put on some warm clothes for a change, a playlist that isn’t called “you got this” and to only look out for a deer potentially crossing my path instead of the 1624748 other things that you’re dealing with at kite beach. Don’t get me wrong, I love running near the beach but once in a while a little serendipity hits the spot.

Now back to these runs. I’ve been surprised with just how much I’ve been enjoying them without focusing on just how cold it is and how much I’d normally complain about it! It’s funny how sometimes you can get a whole new perspective when you’re looking at something from different lenses.

I’m using this break to fill my cup with with plenty of downtime with my family, being able to walk and hike everyday, not having to rush around and enjoying a good evening watching tv instead of thinking that I should be doing something more productive. Let’s not forget all the calories that clearly don’t count this time of the year. More importantly, this really feels like a true reset that both my body and mind need!

I promise to keep it shorter next time.

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