In The End

So, I raced yesterday.  Personal best in the swim and the bike.  First time for hubs racing.  Podium. It was great, but then this moment happened.

THIS moment is exactly why I started all this business in the first place. Because 5 years (minus 2 days) ago I held this tiny little girl in my arms and realized that everything she would learn about self esteem would come from me.

Being a girl was hard when *I* was a teenager.  It seems the world we live in is infinitely more complex than it was when I was a child.  National tragedies are becoming a nearly daily occurrence. Teenagers are having sex at a ridiculous age. The best thing I can do for her is give her the confidence to believe in herself. Because let's be real. Believing in yourself is a pretty important thing. Nothing, not even the love and support of a parent, will help our kids if they do not have the self confidence to stand up for themselves and others, especially one they are out there "in the world."
So it meant the world to me to have her up on the podium with me. Hands raised in victory. I will be proud of myself, and raise my arms in the air over every little victory. Because that is what I want for HER. I want her to raise her hands on victory and be proud of herself. If we, as women, can not be role models for our daughters, they are stuck with the Mylie Cyruses of the world. And THAT is a scary thing.
So the next time you have a victory, raise your hands up and celebrate, no matter how big or small that victory is. Victory is what you make it. BE PROUD OF YOURSELF. Because you never know when your children, your neice, or someone you may not even know (but who feels they can relate to you) is watching. In the end, what matters most is the impressions we leave on the people around us.
In the End 
As you fade into the night
Who will tell the story of your life
And who will remember your last goodbye?

Because its the end, 
And I'm not afraid to die . . .
-Black Veil Brides

Random musings and our giveaway winner

For the first time in a long while, I'm actually really glad I decided not to run last night. Because my 7 year old came in and threw up all over the floor at 1am.  With my luck, a run would have dipped my immunity just enough to catch whatever he has.  Because yeah, ain't nobody got time for THAT :-)

I had a morning run planned at 5am, but obviously that didn't happen since I spent the wee hours of the night cleaning up vomit.  Being a mother is not for the light of heart or the weak of stomach.  Oh well, they are still worth it.   I'm just glad its Friday.  I'm glad because school has been a challenge this week, and I haven't been on the ball as much as I could have been.  I'm glad because the anniversary of 9/11 is always a somber affair.  I'm glad because this weekend I have the Bonus Round of the Mack Cycle Triathlon Trilogy. I'm glad because (assuming Garrett stops puking on things) my awesome friend Jess is watching my kids this weekend so that Brad and I can get up at 3am and go swim, bike, and run.  Because that's how we roll.    We haven't gotten enough "alone" time lately so I'm ready for that.  And to see if I can catch hubs on the course.  Highly unlikely since I start a good 10 minutes after him, but a girl can dream.  I'm excited because I got the Tough Chik Zoom Zoom Tri Top.   Its been awhile since I've had a new top to race in, so looking forward to styling this.  And hoping to blow last month's time out of the water.

This will be my first race since finding out I was chosen as a Team Tough Chik ambassador.  I'm pretty stoked about that . . . this week we put together a recruiting video for TTC, and it SO embodies the spirit of this awesome group of women.  Be sure to check out the video at the end of this post.   I've had THE HARDEST TIME really putting in to words what this team is all about, and the video manages what words can not.  Registration for TTC 2014 opens October 1st.  I'm so glad TooTallFritz sucked me in a year and a half ago, best decision I've ever made.

And along those lines, I was digging through old pictures yesterday . . . it WAS throw back Thursday after all and I thought it would be fun to post a picture of me pregnant with my daughter since her 5th birthday is coming up.  HOLY CRAP I was blown away when I saw how big I was. Its been a long time since I dug through those pictures.  I cried a little. (OK, a lot), because it was shocking to see after not looking at them for a while.   I decided to put a collage together, because I need to own that story.  I finally feel like I am in a place where I can and not be ashamed . . .It has taken FIVE YEARS to be comfortable with myself.  Five years to undo two and half decades if insecurity.  My one true wish is to spare my kids from a similar struggle. Which is probably why that Tough Chik video at the bottom of this post STILL makes me cry. 

Okay, enough musings.  I'm happy to announce that Xanthe is our giveaway winner, congrats Xanthe!  Here is what Xanthe was celebrating this week:
"Celebrating the start if the Biggest Loser Challenge at work this week. I have a team of three people and a coach. I was able to get up THREE TIMES this week to make it to the 0530 swim class, getting up at 0320 is a challenge (we live an hour away)."

Its sort of ironic that Xanthe won because she was the tough chik who posted the link to the bracelet in the first place.   Don't worry though, the coupon code LIFEBEYOND2259 is still good for 20% off to Life Beyond the Chaos readers at Michelle V's Etsy Store.   She currently does not have any bracelets like the one pictured above listed, but you can message her and I am sure she will accommodate you.

Have a great weekend.  Enjoy every moment of it. Make it amazing.

Celebrate (And a giveaway)

Part of me is incredibly sad that it is September.  My daughter is turning five in a few short weeks and that just seems too old.  Between that and the fact that she started preschool a few weeks ago, its clear she isn't a baby anymore.

But they are so, SO many things to celebrate right now.   Sometimes, when you celebrate your victories, people are quick to judge.  They might think that you are bragging.  Or that you think you are better than them.  Or perhaps you may not feel you have something to celebrate.  You may think that your accomplishments mean less because you didn't do as much/run as far/run as fast/insert-unfair-comparison-of-your-chosing here. 

FORGET about the comparison.  Own your own story.  CELEBRATE those victories.

Things we are celebrating in our house this week:

-I didn't kill anyone during our first week of homeschooling--Yay! And the kids seemed relatively happy.

-Brad and I managed to slide away for a bike ride together.  It was nice to sweat together, its been awhile since we did that.  And I won't mention how he easily kept up with me on his mountain bike, when he hasn't been on it ALL summer . . . because that would be a comparison and that's what we AREN'T doing.  (But I will say DARN HIM for being so speedy!!)  And we are doing our first tri together next weekend!

-I logged a ton of bike miles over the long weekend -- 73!

-First double digit run is in the books for the fall distance season.  It wasn't fast and it wasn't pretty, but its done and its all mine and I will celebrate it!  Its also worth noting that for the first 10+ run of the season, I was in a happy headspace based from all the things I've learned in the past year.  Mind > Matter always seems to factor in on the long run.

-Still on cloud nine about being chosen as a Team Tough Chik ambassador.  I love my team, and what I've learned about myself since joining them. 

-We reached 200 followers on our facebook page.

-I'm two months out from my first International Distance Triathlon.  Instead of being scared to death ALL THE TIME, I oscillate between being scared to death and being stoked because I know I could COMPLETE it today if I had to.  So that's something. 

Those are the big things.  As a family, we have little celebrations all the time.  Yay, we made it through that lesson without any complaints!  Yay, we made it to school on time!  Etc. etc. etc.

The point is, don't be afraid to celebrate things.  No matter how big or how small, each and EVERY victory is worth celebrating. Because it is a part of your story.

Which brings me to the fun part of this post.  I'm notorious for comparing myself to others. Heck, I even did it in this post by stating hubby was just as fast as me on his mountain bike.  I often feel like I'm slower than I should be, bigger than I should be, weaker than I should be, etc. etc. etc.

But, as Roosevelt said, "Comparison is the thief of joy."  I love this quote.  I say it to myself whenever I find myself getting wrapped up in the "I should be faster/stronger/thinner/blah blah blah" warp.  A few weeks ago a fellow Tough Chik posted a link to a leather bracelet that has a metal plate with this saying on it from Michelle V Custom Jewelery on Etsy.  I'm not a big fan of leather and I'm not much of a jewelry wearer, but I had to have one.

I love this thing.  Its original and beautiful and every time I look at it, it reminds me to be proud of where I am and how far I've come.  It reminds me to celebrate every small victory.  So I want you to have one too!!   We're giving away one Comparison Is the Thief of Joy custom leather cuff bracelet from Michelle V Custom Jewelery. (Mine is pictured below with my RoadID slim)

You can earn an entries in the following ways:
-Like Michelle V's Facebook Page (2 entries)
-Like Michelle V's Page on Etsy (2 entries)
-Follow Life Beyond the Chaos on Twitter (1 entry)
-Follow Life Beyond the Chaos of Facebook (1 entry)
- Link up this giveaway on your facebook page, twitter page, or blog (2 entries EACH)
-Post a comment below letting me know what YOU are celebrating this week/weekend (1 entry) and also let me know how many entries you have in total.

If you just can't wait, or you find something else you love in Michelle V's Etsy store, she has generously offered the coupon code LIFEBEYOND2259, good for 20% off to Life Beyond the Chaos readers.  Happy shopping--I must say I love her stuff :-)


This giveaway will be open from now until 9:30am, Friday September 13th.  At that time, Random Number Generator will be used to chose a winner.


Good luck!!