Dealing with Stress

As we all know, dealing with stress in our high stress lives can often be a hard thing for all of us to control. Stress has a huge affect on race performance in Triathlon, how well you rest or how well you recover from day to day. Stress can affect the body give you a high heart beat, a headache, an upset stomach and can lead to cronic issues over time. I have three major stress factors in my life right now that I'm trying to deal with.

1. Work
2. Eagleman this weekend
3. Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals (more on this later)

I'm having a really hard time this week dealing with stress and it's going to become more of a struggle as the days progress. I flew straight from MAO training camp to Seattle for a 2.5 day work meeting. At first I would get all stressed out at these meetings simply because of the power influence in the audience. Although a small, I have to give a presentation today in front of 40-50 management representatives. I typically don't have a problem speaking in front of a crowd, but even if you think you have things under control stress levels can rise slightly.

Also on my work trips it's expected that after the "all day" meeting you attend dinner and events with the customers which typically involves over-eating and alcohol. Lots of alcohol. So last night we all went to dinner but luckily I was able to sneak away and find a TV to watch the hockey game. The game was stressing me out not only because the Penguins were in a must win situation being down 3 games to 2 in the best of seven series, but I knew that I had a game seven ticket waiting for me at home if I wanted it. This brings on my huge delima. Like I said I'm currently in Seattle and I fly back to Pittsburgh Thursday afternoon. I arrive in Pittsburgh around midnight Thursday. I have the option to drive to Detroit for the hockey game which begins at 8PM Friday evening. I also need to be in Cambridge Maryland for early Saturday afternoon for the race which is on Sunday. Of which I've been training months on end for as you all know.

As much as I really would like to go to the hockey game, I really see no way to go to the hockey game in Detroit and to have a solid race on Sunday at Eagleman.

So I haven't made a final decision on what I'm going to do, but I do know that I need to stay calm and relaxed and not let the stress get to me.