Doing well blocking the negative thoughts. And, they are coming less frequently.

Spending a lot of time with my new training regimen, and getting to know others in the program as well - new friends and new experiences are great.

A corollary to that - we got our team uniforms yesterday. It's so cool to see them, very professional looking (for very amateur athletes) - all kinds of corporate logos from the sponsors - Toyota, Pearl Izumi and Specialized (bicycle gear and bikes, respectively), the health club chain I go to, somebody else I can't recall at this time, a big bank/financial firm I believe, possibly ML or Edward Jones.

I am sleeping really well because I am "dead-dog tired" from the program, it's pretty rigorous and I added it to my regular workouts. For example, today's Tri workout was a brick - 8-10 miles on the stationary bike, followed by a 5k treadmill run. Then my regular group was a 2500 meter row, a 2 mile run, 2 miles on the stationary bike (big deal!), and then the Stairmaster, I did 70 flights! Worn out and dripping with sweat after that.

I am improving dramatically in the pool, getting most of it down, still working on bilateral breathing, but improving there too.

We have an awesome private Facebook group going - it's great to keep in close contact with teammates and the coaches.

I signed up for an indoor Tri in March, and then the real thing is in late May.

I am so proud of myself for doing this, at 48 years old! It takes commitment, guts, athleticism, and a lot of intelligence to do this - one would be surprised at how sharp you need to be to be an effective athlete -- I certainly was, I always had the stereotype of the "dumb jock" - not true at all. Kinda cool, in fact, one of the trainers I know well is going for his PhD in exercise physiology! How cool is that?

I can feel the difference physically and mentally from this - strength is improving, and of course my mood is MUCH better.

I had a great checkup with my psychiatrist - we spent a good deal of time just discussing my training regimen - she is also a runner and a swimmer (too bad she's married! )

So, maybe it's time for a little optimism, and to try to put the past in the past.