Working out continues to be really important to me, perhaps maybe a little bit of an obsession. (That’s ok – if kept in check, it’s a relatively healthy obsession to have.) A couple months ago, I asked myself the question, “how much is too much“?

My goals are threefold:

• gain fitness, as defined by improved endurance, strength, flexibility & balance

• improve my mental health, emotional resiliency & stress management
• lose weight and improve my overall health & appearance

What motivates me? Being able to see noticeable progress. Feeling good about my fitness level and body. Setting (and achieving) interesting fitness goals.

This year, I wanted to start exercising regularly again and swim an open water swim. (I’ve done two – a 1 mile and a half mile.) In the next year, I’d like to try for a longer and more challenging open water swim – a 2 mile or 3.5 mile. I’d also like to try and finish a sprint triathlon, walking the run.

Up until recently, I’ve been exercising 45-60 minutes a day, alternating between distance swimming and walking, six days a week. (Note: I have a REALLY HARD TIME taking that one rest day a week off.) I’ve been doing yoga randomly and irregularly in the evening for strength and flexibility.

I’ve been somewhat stalled, not making much as progress as I’d like on fitness, weight loss or mental health management. In the last couple of weeks, I’ve decided to increase my workout duration but leave my (relatively healthy) eating habits alone.

So, now I’m alternating between swimming and walking 60-90 min daily, six days a week. I’m doing yoga regularly, every other day, in the evening. On the alternate evening I’m doing something active just to pry myself off the couch – my daily life is very sedentary. I’ll go for a bike ride, go out kayaking, take a short walk with the dogs, just get moving.

What do my swim workouts look like? They’re very distance-oriented. I battle my OCD tendencies constantly so try to avoid timing myself or doing any kind of timed interval work. On the plus side, I don’t get bored with distance swimming – my mind is always busy. My routine is usually similar to this:

    Mile freestyle warmup
    400 kick, flutter, dolphin, breaststroke
    4 x 200s, varying strokes, short (10-15 sec) rest
    400 freestyle warmdown/stroke drills

I’m trying to make this fitness journey sustainable and enjoyable. I can’t increase workout duration any more without it becoming a time management problem – although there’s certainly room to work on intensity, and weave more activity into my couch potato telecommuting lifestyle.

As I slowly return to writing regularly in my blog, I find myself struggling with a blogging identity crisis. What is Smug Puppies? (It’s never been a dog blog, that’s for sure!)

I used to call it “an eclectic repository for whatever I’m wound up about after I’ve had my first cup of coffee”. That would be great if I were more volatile, but I’m not — although I’ll stand by the eclectic. I don’t think I could ever be a single-subject blogger – I’d be bored and boring.

Although you all have been tremendously supportive, I don’t want to write about grief any more, and a personal diary was never the objective of this blog. I’ve shared my thoughts and my journey through loss and rebuilding because it’s cathartic, and maybe it will help someone else traveling a similar road.

I’m sure not a political blogger, although occasionally a subject will strike me as important enough to research and dig into. For political writing, go to Eric, Jim, Janiece, Carol Elaine or Kate.

I also don’t really want to write about business & technology, although I can do so quite capably and interestingly. I live immersed in it during the day, and I’d rather write about other facets of my life. For tech blogging, go read Vince or Shawn.

What do I like to blog about?

• Living life to its fullest.

• Adventures, both locally and further abroad.
• Acts of kindness and caring among friends and strangers.
• Creativity, writing and other crafts.
• Geeky SF/F fangirl stuff, mostly bookish but occasionally other media
• Fitness, distance/open water swimming and triathlons.
• Occasionally, my family, dogs & kitten.

I realize not everyone in my immediate circle of online friends is interested in all those subjects, but others may be. None of those subject areas are really lightning rods for controversy or debate – and that’s ok. I do reserve the right to write about politics, religion or Mac vs. PC whenever I see fit, it’s my blog.

I also really enjoy the recurring features that a few of you feature – Janiece’s “Conversations with Karma” and “Well Behaved Women Rarely Make History“, Jim’s “Things that Chap My Ass“, and Michelle’s “Tasty Tuesday” and “Wednesday Word Association” are all fun.

That said, I’d appreciate feedback… what would you like to see here?

In the past several months, I’ve been grateful for the tremendous, wonderful, caring friends that have gotten me through each day. I’ve been thinking about what they mean to me and have tried to put that down in words.

Friends will:

• care unconditionally
• cheer for each others’ successes
• laugh and cry together
• be comfortable companions
• relax and be crazy, silly & joyful together
• provide encouragement when each other are down
• offer practical help when appropriate
• serve as a sounding board
• listen without needing to fix things
• be kindly, gently honest & direct
• serve as a reality check when needed
• be positive, sensible, and open-minded
• inspire each other to be a better person
• dream together
• be partners in adventure

I strive to be this for my friends – often falling short – but I do love each and every one of you!

Feel free to add to this incomplete list in comments.

One of the reasons I really enjoy the ferry commute.

When I mentioned that one of my goals was to try open water swimming, my triathlete and fitness instructor friend Stephanie was enthusiastic; she suggested doing a relay triathlon in Bryan’s memory. (They were lifelong friend of Bryan’s; her husband Chuck was Bryan’s college & grad school roommate.)

We compared dates and events, and finally settled on the Kirkland Triathlon this last weekend. Unfortunately, Chuck hurt himself a couple days before the event, so Steph rallied to do both the bike & run – she is amazing! (She’s training for the Portland marathon two weeks from now.)

One disadvantage of this event was that it was at 7am. In Kirkland. That meant leaving the house at 4:40am to make the 5:20am ferry. And — cold, 68° lake water never seems very appealing at that hour of the day.

There were over 1,000 entrants in this triathlon, and a few dozen relay teams. A triathlon is swim, bike, run – and relay team members have to tag each other in the transition area between legs of the event.

Because the triathlon had so many participants, we started in waves of about 50 – 60 swimmers, 5 minutes apart, and each wave had different colored swim caps. We’d wade in until we were waist deep after the group ahead of us took off, then wait our turn. I prefer to start near the back, I don’t care for the melee at the front. The water wasn’t nearly as cold as I was afraid it would be, I was fine.

The first 100 yards or so are always tough, adjusting to the cold, the crowd, the different stroke technique. (for me, seven strokes head down, one with head up, to stay straight) Then I found my rhythm – and this time I started passing people. A lot of people. Maybe enjoying it was not the best sportsmanship, but it was satisfying. According to Steph, I finished about a third of the way back in my group – not bad for starting in the back row. If it had been longer I would have been able to pass more swimmers.

Then Steph took off on her bike like the experienced triathlete she is. (She’s done an Ironman and a few ½ Ironman tris – I admire her strength & endurance.)

I couldn’t get to the finish to watch her because the course was laid out like a pretzel and crossing the course was nearly impossible. I hung out in the transition area, overheard the swimming organizers debriefing, and apparently they rescued 6 swimmers in trouble, and pulled out another 66 who asked for assistance. My gosh! I can’t imagine trying a deep water, lake swim unless you were completely prepared for it.

Would I do another relay triathlon? Definitely! It was fun and I think I supported our team creditably. I’d also like to shoot for a longer swim next summer, if I find the right event.

Thanks, Steph, for this awesome opportunity!