3 Weeks To Go!

Three short week.  Yep, all I have is three more weeks until the big day.  A race plan is in the works and most of my trip details have been worked out.  It's safe to say that I probably won't be able to focus on anything other than Ironman for the next 21 days. 

The year has been full of up and downs.  Fortunately, there have been more ups.  Since my last post things have gotten much better.  I did have a moment on a particularly windy ride where I threw down my bike, sat on the side of the road, and cried....and screamed... and cursed!  I'm sure it was a sight to see. It was definitely a low point, but I had no choice but pick myself up and train through the brutal winds and misery. My journey to the start line has definitely challenged me in ways I could have never imagined, but I know it will pay off.

Yesterday I had my last big training day.  I started off with a long swim that I ended up cutting a bit short in order to keep my shoulder happy.  Next, I headed out on my 4 hour bike ride.  My wet hair didn't make the 37 degree temperatures feel any better.  Within minutes my nose and fingers were frozen. I couldn't even grab my bottles out of the cages, so I just sipped out my aero bottle.  I was heading north and the wind was blowing from the north. It wasn't a strong wind, but it was COLD. Knowing that the second half of my ride would bring more sunshine and a tail wind made things much easier.  There is a good chance that I'll have a cold start in Arizona, so I couldn't really complain about yesterday's conditions. I was able to catch a little break near the end of my first hour on the bike. A friend and a couple of his buddies came rolling by me. I grabbed a wheel as they passed, and drafted as long as I could.  It was a nice little break from the winds and some free speed.  THANKS GUYS!!   After a few miles we made a right hand turn, and they picked up the pace dropping me like a hot potato.  By this point I was warming up and didn't mind pulling my own weight once again.  The rest of the ride was nice and uneventful.  After the sun came  out, it turned out to be a pretty nice day. The tail wind home was icing on the cake.

I finally made it back to where I started and began my hour run.  My feet were still pretty cold, so it took a little while to get all the feeling back.  Overall, I was pleased with my last big training day.  I got a good workout, but I didn't feel completely beat up at the end.  I even got to refuel later with a nice bowl of gumbo. Next weekend I have one more long run and that's about it as far as the big stuff!  I'll taper down and get ready to take on Ironman.

Over the next three weeks I'm going to do all I can to make sure I'm prepared for the race - eat right, get enough sleep, finish up my race plan. But the truth is, I've really done all I can do at this point.  There is no way to know what Ironman will throw at me on race day...I just hope and pray that I can handle whatever comes my way. 

” It’s important to know that at the end of the day it’s not the medals you remember. What you remember is the process – what you learn about yourself by challenging yourself, the experiences you share with other people, the honesty the training demands – those are things nobody can take away from you whether you finish twelfth or you’re an Olympic Champion.” – Silken Laumann

Sometimes It Sucks

For over two years I've dreamed about doing an Ironman.  I can't explain why I want to do it, but I do.  The first time I watched a video of the race I was hooked.  I knew I had to find a way to get to that starting line. It's hard to believe that in less than six weeks I'll be in Arizona for my first Ironman.

To be honest, the last few days have not been great.  I've hit that low point where I've been questioning my sanity and why I would willingly put myself though something like this. It's not like I'm getting money for finishing. Last week I was crying because I was tired.  I though I could just suck it, but earlier this week I broke down again.  After work I headed to the gym for a long swim session.  I struggled the whole time I was in the water.  I had to talk myself into each and every miserable lap.  About half way through the workout I ripped off my goggles and got out of the pool.  I sat in the locker with my face buried in a towel crying.  I didn't even care that there were other people in there.  They politely ignored me.  I finally got myself together and left.  Of course, I broke down again as soon as I got in the car. I was disappointed that I didn't finish my swim.  I was disappointed that I gave up, but I really didn't have what I needed to finish.  I think I've been trying to prepare myself  for these mental hurdles on race day, but I didn't really take the time to think about how I would overcome them in training.  

I reached out to my coach to let him know that I wasn't doing so well.  He, of course, was very understanding and told me to take a day off if I need it and he unloaded some of my workouts.  I hate the idea of not doing workouts on my schedule, but I also hate feeling burned out.  

It sucks feeling like this so close to the end.  I've talked with others who have been down this path.  Most of them just smile and say, "Yes, that happens around this time." No one seems concerned or even very sympathetic.  If this is part of the journey, then I guess I'll just deal with it and move on. People say that challenges of this training will prepare me for race day.  No one said this was going to be easy.  I also don't think I've heard anyone say it was going to be fun.  

I hate to sound like Debbie Downer, but this is my story.  I'm not ready to give up, but I do need some time to regroup and rest.  Before I know it, it will be time to taper, and hopefully I'll start to feel like myself again. Despite the mental and physical exhaustion, I wouldn't trade the past year for anything, and I have a feeling I'll miss all of this when it's over.

A friend at work compared what I'm going through to the end of her pregnancy.  She was so tired and just wanted it to be over.  Instead of a 140.6 mile race to end her pregnancy, she went through labor and delivery.  I wonder how the two compare.  They both last several hours.  Ironman cuts you off after 17 hours, but labor keeps going.  Labor gives you the option of drugs.  You're more likely to share your Ironman pictures on Facebook than you are to share your labor pictures.  After Ironman you get a medal, and then you go home and sleep. My friend's pregnancy has been over for 9 months, but I don't think she's gotten any sleep yet.  Hmmm....

Even though things have been hard, I must say that coming home my dog, Roxy, always puts a smile on my face. 

"A true champion knows how  to overcome doubts and mange those doubts and  turn them into motivation." ~~ Misty Hyman