Notes Along the Way- Week 3

Why can’t I focus?

This week, focus has been hard to come by.

Winter break ended and I’m back in my cancer registry program full time. Add family and everyday life to that, and free time has become a narrower window. The bikepacking setup also needed rethinking because my new bike fits gear differently. I found myself unable to make quick, decisive choices about equipment purchases.

The winter weather didn’t help. Outdoor training, my preference, has been inconsistent, pushing more work indoors. I needed to carve out focused time for route planning, but instead found myself feeling a bit overwhelmed by the number of moving pieces.

There are about two and a half weeks until I leave for Florida. That adds its own pressure: getting the bike ready, dialing in gear, finalizing route plans, and fitting in another solid week or two of training before tapering.

Still, some progress to report: I got in a good amount of training. I completed my cycling workouts (about 123 miles of riding). I felt strong on a 15-mile run, part of a monthly Delaware River Loop Series I'm doing (25 miles running total this week). I got in my two strength training sessions and even spent quality time out hiking with my daughter.

Additionally, I tried out the Coros Dura computer and made a few gear purchases that should work in my favor once they arrive.

So while I was not able to meet my high expectations for this week, I still made progress. Less moments of clarity or flow, but good practice staying with the scattered feeling and continuing anyway, making small progress even when it wasn't obvious and my attention felt divided.

Seeing the buddha in the snow reminds me sometimes that just the simple act of sitting still for a moment is ideal, no matter what is swirling around.