Once again, I have chopped my hair off.  Every two years (or really a little less), I chop my hair off and donate it to Pantene Beautiful Lengths.  They only require 8 inches of hair, so the chop is pretty darn easy.

People say “Oh, it’s so nice that you do this.”  And I guess it is.  But it’s also because I’m super lazy.  Until last week, I hadn’t gotten my hair cut since January of 2015.  Because I don’t dry it (lazy), my hair stays pretty healthy, so I don’t have to worry about ends getting frayed.  It probably doesn’t hurt that I’m good about taking vitamins.  Apparently proper nutrients help keep your hair healthy too.  I can tell that the ends do get a bit dry, so I’m going to try to be extra careful about getting moisture into my hair.  I’m sure all the time in the pool doesn’t help.

So. Much. Hair.

By the time I’m ready for a cut, I’m ready for a cut.  My hair gets so unwieldy.  And big.  And I end up just wearing it up in a bun most of the time, but it gets so heavy that it gives me a headache. I know, my life is so hard.

It kind of amazes me how much hair I have when it’s all chopped off.  It’s hilarious to watch the stylist try to cut through the giant bundles.  I know my hair is thick, but I always forget just how thick it is.  Also, it looks kind of pretty all bundled up.

As always, I love the new cut.  My head feels so light, my hair dries so quickly (well, comparatively speaking, anyway) and it’s so much less work to deal with.  It does mean that I can’t just pull my hair in a messy bun before work anymore, but I think I can deal.

I’m also weirdly excited to find out how easily it fits into my swim cap.

Ignore the giant bags under my eyes. This was Friday morning and I haven’t taken another pic since.

Bellezza87 / Pixabay

Among some triathletes, there seems to be a superstition that as your race approaches, the universe tries to make things difficult for you.

If you’ve seen or read 11/22/63, you know what I mean.  (If you haven’t, stop what you’re doing right now and go read/watch.  Seriously.)

So even though my race is over a month away, things are starting to get a little crazy.

Work is nuts, as expected.  We have a huge project milestone coming up mid-September, so that’s intense.  Going well, but still pretty intense.

My poor house… Let’s just say that someone who owned it before me did some very shoddy construction work and now I’m having to have some major work done on the house.  It could be much worse, but the work has only just begun and I’m not sure how long it will be until it’s complete.  Fingers crossed that as the work progresses, we don’t discover things are much worse than we thought.

Of course, the added stress is that everything that was once in my office is now stacked around the living room and dining room.  It’s… not relaxing.  I’m not a neat freak in any way, but the mess is definitely distracting.  Once all the repair work is done, I’m still going to have to rip out the remaining carpet in my office and paint the entire room.  I’m probably not going to get that done until after Augusta so… that’s fun.

Then on Wednesday night, the engine coolant light in my car came on unexpectedly.  The car wasn’t overheating, so I wasn’t immediately worried, but that’s something that needs to be dealt with.  A trip to the dealership later (all covered under warranty), everything was fine, fluids were topped off, and it was likely an air bubble that caused the light to illuminate.  Ultimately a non-issue (plus I got a free car wash out of the deal), but still just one more thing I had to deal with.

So now I’m just waiting to see what happens next with the home repairs and how many days I will need to work from home to get it done.  Thank goodness for flexibility in my work schedule!

OpenClipartVectors / Pixabay

Last Sunday, while running my 12 miler, my throat was scratchy.  I thought it was perhaps reflux from eating too close to running.  Hey, it happens.  Monday, I decided it might be a cold coming on.  By Monday night, I knew I was right.

Tuesday, I did what no one should do.  I went to work sick.  I didn’t really have a choice – we’re understaffed and had some big things going on that required my presence.  I hated that I was risking exposing everyone to my cold, but well, being a grown-up sucks sometimes.  I am pretty sure this also meant that my recovery would be greatly slowed.

And I was right.

Luckily, I haven’t been feverish and am not showing any signs of infection, and I’m probably getting better, but seriously, I have gone through so many tissues that it’s getting ridiculous.  I should go buy stock in Kleenex.

Apparently, there are three major cold viruses going around the area.  This will make number two for me.  My goal is to not get number three.  So it’s time for some immune boosting methods.  A number of ladies on the Coeur Team recommended Sound Probiotics, so I’m going to try those.  Also going to be better about remembering to take my vitamins.

The big key is getting enough sleep.  That’s a tough one when I’m working extra hours and also trying to keep up with my training and having a life, but if I don’t get enough sleep, things happen like missing the entire last week of training and having no life.

Alexas_Fotos / Pixabay

Well, it’s sort of tradition at this point, so I figured I would make a few 2016 New Year’s Resolutions.

As with every year, I’m starting with “lose weight.”  But more importantly, my goal this year is to stick with the principles I learned during Swim Bike Fuel.  I’ve managed to kick some bad dietary habits and I’m seeing the changes in my body.  I’m starting this year at least ten pounds lighter than I was this time last year, and I need to see that continue.  It’s not just about the weight loss – I’m also noticing a difference in how I feel and in my skin.  For once in my adult life, I’m not constantly battling acne.  (Well, I am right NOW, but I blame Christmas for that.  Plus it’s really mild.)

I also need to stick to my training plan.  I did a pretty good job of that last year, but I need to keep that up.  I also need to be sure that I’m pushing myself during my workouts. Sometimes, it’s good to have an easy workout, but only when an easy workout is called for.

My other resolution is to get my house in order.  There are so many things that I want to do around the house, but with work and training and travel, it never happens.  My goal is to find sometime during the year where I can take a five day weekend and just do stuff around the house.  My boss is always supportive of this idea, but it’s still tough to find the time.  Plus I tend to be a vacation leave hoarder.  My leave carries over (well, up to 240 hours, a number I have never hit), so it’s not like it’s going to hit an expiration date.  I just feel like I should save it for a real vacation, not just for a staycation.  This year, I’m going to force myself to take one staycation to sleep in and work on my household projects.