The Comfort of Routines

I operate best when I have a routine. For my training , the routine takes away (mostly) the procrastinating, or waffling about “what should I do today?” Steve put together my training schedule for my Bike MS and 3 triathlons so I know what I need to do each day. I also have a routine for the training days. Monday and Fridays are swim and run days. Steve swims MWF and is up by 4:15am and I am usually up by 4:45am. As soon as my feet hit the floor, Tracker jumps off Connor’s bed and stands by his door whining, waiting for me to let him out. I let Tracker out of Connor’s room, let the cats out of Dylan’s room and close their doors so they can keep sleeping. Tracker, Hobbes and Sunshine lead the way downstairs and I get a coffee mug, fill it with water and microwave it for 60 seconds. While the water is warming, I feed Tracker. I take my warm water upstairs and check email while I drink my water. Hobbes sits on my lap while I scratch his ears and Tracker sits beside my chair begging me to pet him instead of Hobbes. After I triage email, I get dressed and make my protein shake (1 can V8 Fusion juice, 1 scoop vanilla protein powder, 1 scoop Psyllium Husk, 1 quirt Trace minerals, 1 scoop Flax Seed meal and some frozen berries). I let the pets back in the boy’s rooms and head to the YMCA. I use the same locker every time, as do the women around me. My swim comes first and there my routine intersects the other swimmers routines. Steve is already in the pool, in lane 2. George is always in lane 3. The German lady is in the last lane, the tall guy who does weird flip turns is always in lane 4 (but he was gone for a while because he had knee surgery), our 2 triathlete friends share lane 1. It would be a great social science study to observe what happens when a new person comes in and gets in someone’s lane! I get in Steve’s lane and do my swim, rinse off, get my running clothes and head downstairs to the treadmills. The 90 year old guy who is always on the end treadmill greets me with his usual “hey young lady” (my boys think I’m old, but someone thinks I’m a young lady!), we smile and exchange hellos and if someone isn’t on “my” treadmill I put my ipod on, and start running. Susie usually stops by for a quick chat before heading to the elliptical machine, Dylan’s English teacher stops by and gives me an update on Dylan’s last and upcoming assignments (can you imagine a fate worse than being a HS Junior and your English teacher sees your parents several times a week?). Steve is 3 treadmills over (“his” treadmill), and I don’t bother him because he’s in the zone and it’s not cool to talk to an athlete in their zone. I finish whatever my run for the day is, head back to “my locker”, and chat with the cool ladies whose routine intersects mine. I don’t know most of their names, but know one is doing the Boulder Long Course this year, one is a teacher, one is from Germany and is retired. I love the predictability of it and the familiar faces and conversation on these days.