Please don't write me a ticket

A reality of training for Ironman is that you have to make sacrifices.  If you asked most people who are training for or who have ever trained for an Ironman what they have sacrificed in the name of the race they would probably tell you that they have sacrificed time with their kids, hours of sleep, friendships, maybe even a promotion at work.  Well, for me I have sacrificed a sense of style, call me petty or superficial for feeling passionately enough about this to write a blog about it.   Two years ago I was stylish, wore make up and put a decent amount of energy into getting ready for work in the morning.  I used to have a new outfit every month, a shoe collection that consisted of more heels than tennis shoes and flats.  I ironed my clothes, dry cleaned things, had cute commuting shoes that I could rock during every weather condition.   It's safe to say that I was working it.

It has all gone out the window.  I've sacrificed working a sense of style to working the pool, a bike and a pair of running shoes.

Me losing it in this field is a result of not having as much time to spend on Michigan Avenue browsing clothing stores and a lack of  spending my money as a result of triathlon/running race entries, equipment, training/coaching fees  Instead of buying a new outfit I find myself buying new running shoes.  As soon as I find something I like online a red flashing sign comes up in my head telling me I still haven't paid my race entry fee for some race I've committed to doing. Or every time I go to put on makeup in the morning a part of me just says "why bother, you have to work out during lunch so it will just come off anyway".  Now with that specific example you are probably saying "well, bring your make up with you and just reapply after you work out.  Well, then that's an additional 5 minutes that I don't have that I would need to budget into a lunch hour. Now, if I did have that extra 5 minutes I would rather spend it stretching or rolling on the foam roller, but the fact is I don't have it.  My workouts are already taking slightly longer than an hour to get in, then you add a quick shower and throwing clothes on and I'm pushing it with my boss.

In addition to the whole money/time issue I just can't always carry everything to make myself fashionable.  I carry around a bunch of bags (work/lap top bag, a workout bag, a grocery bag from stopping off before the office to make sure I'm stocked with good post workout refueling options, etc).  I used to drive downtown to work which made things a lot easier 'cause I could use my car to store things.  Since parking is at least $13 downtown I am trying to avoid driving.  Since the bags can get clunky and heavy sometimes I give up a bag  so that I don't kill myself and just wear what's in the bag.  IE - I put my workout leggings over my tights and under my dress and then I wear my running shoes as my commuting shoes.  I can usually stuff a tank top and a sports bra in my laptop bag with no problem and there ya go, I've reduced a bag!  Now, the result if I can look like a mismatched crazy women. For example, this so this morning for my morning commute I was wearing my work closes: teal with black nylons.  Then to reduce my bags I wore my gym shorts under the dress (not a huge deal, people can't see em), and my committing shoes were my running shoes.  Since it was raining I wore my Royal blue north face that hit slightly past my hips.  Ok, so put that together and you have a bunch of clashing blues with a horrendous pair of running shoes acting like commuting shoes.  I would post a picture but I'm not sure I want that on the internet and I left the house after Monkey so I'm trying to avoid having him see me in an outfit like that.   I even looked at myself in the mirror and said "wow, this is what it's come to"

So, Fashion police please do not write me a ticket.  Can you please consider me to be an international diplomat between now and September 11th (diplomats pretty much have immunity according to the recent Law and Order episodes I've watched).  I promise that after the race I will get back to my old self.  note: I can turn on the tears if it will help my cause.

o
o
o
o