Rachel Eberhard

April, 2013

It’s time for a little Spring cleaning in the world of Rachel Eberhard. In her third diary she get’s down to business with revisiting and cleaning up the physical, the mental, and the gear for her training. This is something we all need to do once (if not twice) a year.

MY SPRING CLEANING

I’m in a no-bullshit type of mood this week, and it’s time to get down to business. Along with the tiny little cherry blossoms, I’m yearning for a sense of renewal, which will require a complete overhaul of my priorities lately. A sort of ‘spring cleaning’ if you will. This doesn’t mean making a to-do list. This means reconnecting with those big, hairy audacious goals I set several months ago, which have gathered dust and are looking a little tarnished.

Physical spring cleaning. This marks my recommittment to the training goals I set in the beginning of the year. The past two months have been difficult, as I wrestled with several health issues and waning motivation. Thankfully, Masters Swimming lit a fire under my ass when I discovered that 8 sessions are looking to expire at the end of this month. So, I cleared three evenings each week to strap on my goggles and bust my ass. I’ve also started to gather my team. Any goal, physical or otherwise, needs to have the cheerleaders and folks who are willing to get down into the trenches with you. I’m cycling with new friends, swimming with complete strangers, scheduling weekly runs with Kenyans (not really), and socializing with girlfriends while tweaking training plans.
Nutritional spring cleaning. I’m guilty of letting produce go to waste from time to time when my schedule gets the best of me, and I’ve finally found a solution–juicing! My sister bought me a juicer a while ago, and it seemed to get lost deep in some forgotten cupboard until I started scrambling to figure out how to save my fresh stash of food recently. My favorite combinations include: carrot/tomato/kale/jalapeno & apple/orange/blueberry/ginger.

Mental spring cleaning. It’s also clear that I need a yearly refresher in the art of saying ‘no.’ It can save you time, energy and precious resources when you know when and how to use it purposefully. Before committing to anything, I ask myself, is this essential? Does it support my values and vision? Will it lead me to the best result that is aligned with my highest intention? If not, the answer is clearly ‘no.’ It’s also necessary for me to clean out the ‘gunk’ that clogs up my thoughts and stresses me out. I’ve considerably cut back on watching the news. I de-friend or hide the timelines of individuals who whine, complain or are critical of others. Gravitate towards those who are going to challenge you and lift you higher! Start re-engaging with those mentors you admire and people who radiate positive energy. I’ve created a ‘fit board‘ or space to post things that keep me motivated and cheerful.

Gear spring cleaning. If you haven’t touched it in a year, donate or trash it. Get rid of your old shoes & invest in a new pair–your feet will thank you immensely! Find a ‘home’ for each piece of gear–don’t let it float around in the trunk of your car or in a bottomless drawer. Pitch water bottles that have missing tops, toss goggles and Gu packets that aren’t your favorite, and pick up a new can of degreaser. Think hard about the last time you got an actual professional tune-up, and consider showing your bike a lil TLC!

***More of Rachel’s training musings can be found at tritriagainblog.com***