I feel like I deserve a sobriety coin...or at least a cookie. I survived an entire week of no exercise. I ate a lot of food (good and bad), read a little bit, and cleaned everything like my life depended on it. Lo and behold, there was a lesson to be learned. I experienced a whole new level of mental toughness. No matter how many times (at least 30) I thought about going for a spin, dip, or run, I persevered. I don't feel burned out and I'm excited to get things rolling for 2016! At the end of the day, I'm thankful to be able to experience the little joys of life...something all of us should remember during this holiday season. Live, laugh, love.

As some of you know, I've hired a coach for the first time in my triathlon career. I repeat, I hired someone to tell me what to do. Some ask, why now? After racing at the highest level for a few years, I've realized that I'm missing that 1% in every aspect of triathlon training and racing. When my coach told me to take this week off from physical activity before ramping things up for 2016, I was instantly resistant. After a few minutes of trying to negotiate, he finally said, "The fact that you don't want to do it is a sign that you need it." So, I decided to have some fun with it. Immediately after running the Philly Half Marathon, I indulged in kimchi fries and mochi at Bleu Sushi then sent my coach frivolous messages about smoking cigarettes and having dinner at McDonald's, Checkers and KFC. "Now's the time to do it all," he said. Follow along on FB as I survive a sedentary Thanksgiving week because I just might do it all. #NewBeginnings