Just deal with it

I was reading my friend's blog today and it made me think of so many things. First, let me preface this story with what happened yesterday:

I have pretty much all guy friends in Memphis. It comes with the territory of the exercise science field: Very male dominated. I can deal. I don't mind being a standout woman amongst a field of men! But, what happens when you get a bunch of guys together? They tend to regress in maturity. Sorry, guys, but you know its true. Most of the time, I can handle this. We are all very joking/sarcastic people, and I don't mind. I grew up in a sarcastic family. I've got tough skin. But sometimes, being the only one around with two "X" chromosomes...it really begins to where on you. I'm still a woman. I still have days where I just don't feel like dealing with the immaturity. Between last Friday and yesterday was one of these times.

Remember last Friday, I was D.D. for the guys. No big deal. I never go out with them so it's nice when I get to. Whenever something is going on, we send a mass email around, and everyone responds by "replying all" so everyone is on the same page. Well, after some miscommunication about who D.D.'ed last Friday, one of my friends replied all and proceeded to rip on me, pretty badly, to all of our friends. I was done. I sent him an email explaining how he's taking it a bit too far, and I was sick of it.

That was a long story short, basically to talk about how I'm starting to feel the impacts of IM training:

1. I'm poor. That comes with IM and transitioning from student to big girl.

2. I never get to hang out with my friends. Most of the time, I'm ok with this. As my officemate just came in saying he got home at 4am and how he feels like crap today, I kind of chuckled and said "Reason #492 why I don't go out."

3. Sometimes, it gets pretty lonely. I don't have a specific training partner for IM LOO, so doing solo 2 hour runs (yesterday...ouch) or Saturday rides, or just being home for several hours with no one to talk to but Junior, I get lonely. There's nothing anyone can really do. Comes with the training really. Because if I didn't have to run yesterday, and then lay in my bed to recover for an hour afterwards, I probably would have been out doing something else, involving real live people.

4. Want to go visit a friend somewhere? PAH! Yeah right. Between wanting to visit my sister, Seth, peeps in Kansas...that's a lot of money and TIME. Neither of which I have. Well, actually I have time next week since I won't start my job yet, but no money...which is pretty important. But even if I did have the money, I'd have to load my bike wherever I'm going, and make sure my workouts get done. That becomes more difficult when you're on the road.

With all that said, I go back to my friend's blog. Yeah, you make sacrifices. Such as me not going on vacation with my ENTIRE family because I'll be doing Kansas 70.3...an extremely important lead in race to IM. One of my aunt's said "So she'd rather drive to Kansas, swim, bike and run for 6ish hours, and drive back all in the same weekend. She'd do this rather than lay on the beach with the family?" Well...simply put...at this time in my training, yes. It's a sacrifice I'm willing to make to meet my goal of crossing that finish line in Louisville come August 31. I'm not super excited about not getting to lay on the beach with an adult beverage in hand with my crazy family around me. But its what I have to do. IM is not just a month commitment. Its a YEAR long commitment, in some cases more. Its a complete lifestyle change that you and your family and friends must be willing to deal with.

I'm there. I've committed. Which is why sometimes your friends rip on you for staying in on a Friday night because you have to get up early and train. Or why you must miss an amazing family vacation. Or why sometimes you get lonely. But when I cross the finish line on August 31 and Mike Reilly says "Robyn Karlage, YOU are an Ironman!" all of it will be worth it. All the negatives will disappear and I will only remember the positives. I can't wait.