Well, this past week proved that I am really training for an Ironman. Wowza! It's been a long time since I have parked my bootay on a bike for that long in one session. I really enjoyed it, so that is a good sign. Now that the half marathon is over, I can focus on the big picture.
This is the conclusion I have come to .... Although I was happy with my race time and all of the work that I put into training for this race paid off, the race itself wasn't very fun for me as I felt like I was going to throw up for the last 3+ miles and the smiles were not flowing. I know some of you think that I am completely crazy for not wanting to continue to want to be faster and always want to PR (personal record) but to me, life isn't always about the PR.
One of the things that I am most proud of, is that I have always finished every race I've entered, and I have the MOST FUN POSSIBLE while doing it. We all know I am not going to EVER podium in anything, nor will I qualify for Kona (the Superbowl of triathlons), so having a lot of fun along the way is one of the best ways that I can think of to celebrate this gift of life that we are given. And this race, besides spending time with Terri and Clint, was NOT fun.
When i think back to previous races, some of my favorite memories have been running with friends, talking the whole time, FB'ing during the event and stopping for photo ops along the way :-). As a matter of fact, there was a beautiful photo op on the race course last weekend. We couldn't stop because we were trying to hit our time goal. What a great picture of Terri, Clint and me that would have been. I can totally envision the photo and it would have been a good one. :-).
As for Ironman, I have definitely have goals for myself. A time goal is one of them, but F-U-N is also definitely at the top end of the goal list. Part of the ironman experience for me, is to make sure that when I see those people that took time out of their day to watch me race and support me, is that I will make my best effort to acknowledge and appreciate everyone out there, with a big sweaty hug that they all deserve while I am on the run. When I am on the bike, I will wave and say "hi", but won't be stopping for a chat at that time :-). Why, you ask?? Well ...
I have seen and witnessed first hand that stopping on the bike during the event can really piss some participants off, and rightfully so. At Ironman Wisconsin last year, I witnessed a participant, who thought it would be a great idea to stop mid-climb on Timber Lane to show his family some love (those of you that have climbed it, you know exactly what I am talking about). Well, the two people directly behind him almost fell over because there was no warning that he would be stopping. It was not a good moment for the person that stopped.
So, on that note, I will make sure, that if I see you on the bike, I will give a shout out and a big smile...especially on loop one...loop two isn't quite as fun. But if you are so inclined to hang out for the run portion, be prepared to get a big hug and a smile from this triathlete :-).
I still have a lot of work to do to make it to the start line of the race. I am confident that I will get there, and I will, hopefully, have an incredible day all around. Part of that day and experience, will be able to see all of you. If you haven't already figured this out ... I am a people person ... You have decided to join me on this ride by reading my little blog, so let's all make the ride as fun as possible!! :-).
The ride yesterday was a 2.5 hour ride. Focused on nutrition and drills. It went really well. Blake gave some great tips on where to start and, so far so good :-). Yay me on the nutrition end as Ironman in 2010 was less than stellar ... In fact it was miserable, so hoping that his guidance will aide in better nutrition for the race this year and a body that is happier with me on race day :-).
My swims this past week were not their best, as I haven't been sleeping well ... but, I got them done, so that was a definite plus, and hopefully this week, they will be great :-).
The run aspect of my training was good. I felt strong during all of them. On Wednesday, there were hill repeats. Wow ... they completely kicked my a$$!!! Thanks to Deb for being free at the last minute that morning to be able to run with me. I am not too sure she was fired up about it, but it sure felt great when we were done!!
Today, was my long run. 1.5 hours in zone 2 (definite conversational pace) with a 15-30 second walk at each mile. really have to give my coach Blake props. Less than 6 months ago, the thought of running a 10ish minute mile in zone 2 and having it feel like a comfortable pace was definitely NOT possible. Today, I felt like I could do this forever. Without the guidance of Blake, I don't think I could have gotten there. I know I am the one doing the work, and I definitely give myself credit for that, but the information/drills have been invaluable. So, thanks Coach Blake!!! And, thanks to my friend Sherri for running the first half hour with me. Helped make that last solo hour much better.
After the half marathon this past weekend, I had a major AH HA moment ... While I was extremely pleased with my performance at the half marathon and I loved being able spending time with Terri and Clint, the question that I have continued to ask myself since that day was ... DID I HAVE FUN?
After the half marathon this past weekend, I had a major AH HA moment ... While I was extremely pleased with my performance at the half marathon and I loved being able spending time with Terri and Clint, the question that I have continued to ask myself since that day was ... DID I HAVE FUN?
This is the conclusion I have come to .... Although I was happy with my race time and all of the work that I put into training for this race paid off, the race itself wasn't very fun for me as I felt like I was going to throw up for the last 3+ miles and the smiles were not flowing. I know some of you think that I am completely crazy for not wanting to continue to want to be faster and always want to PR (personal record) but to me, life isn't always about the PR.
One of the things that I am most proud of, is that I have always finished every race I've entered, and I have the MOST FUN POSSIBLE while doing it. We all know I am not going to EVER podium in anything, nor will I qualify for Kona (the Superbowl of triathlons), so having a lot of fun along the way is one of the best ways that I can think of to celebrate this gift of life that we are given. And this race, besides spending time with Terri and Clint, was NOT fun.
When i think back to previous races, some of my favorite memories have been running with friends, talking the whole time, FB'ing during the event and stopping for photo ops along the way :-). As a matter of fact, there was a beautiful photo op on the race course last weekend. We couldn't stop because we were trying to hit our time goal. What a great picture of Terri, Clint and me that would have been. I can totally envision the photo and it would have been a good one. :-).
As for Ironman, I have definitely have goals for myself. A time goal is one of them, but F-U-N is also definitely at the top end of the goal list. Part of the ironman experience for me, is to make sure that when I see those people that took time out of their day to watch me race and support me, is that I will make my best effort to acknowledge and appreciate everyone out there, with a big sweaty hug that they all deserve while I am on the run. When I am on the bike, I will wave and say "hi", but won't be stopping for a chat at that time :-). Why, you ask?? Well ...
I have seen and witnessed first hand that stopping on the bike during the event can really piss some participants off, and rightfully so. At Ironman Wisconsin last year, I witnessed a participant, who thought it would be a great idea to stop mid-climb on Timber Lane to show his family some love (those of you that have climbed it, you know exactly what I am talking about). Well, the two people directly behind him almost fell over because there was no warning that he would be stopping. It was not a good moment for the person that stopped.
So, on that note, I will make sure, that if I see you on the bike, I will give a shout out and a big smile...especially on loop one...loop two isn't quite as fun. But if you are so inclined to hang out for the run portion, be prepared to get a big hug and a smile from this triathlete :-).
I still have a lot of work to do to make it to the start line of the race. I am confident that I will get there, and I will, hopefully, have an incredible day all around. Part of that day and experience, will be able to see all of you. If you haven't already figured this out ... I am a people person ... You have decided to join me on this ride by reading my little blog, so let's all make the ride as fun as possible!! :-).
Last, but not definitely least ... Mother's Day. What a great day all around. I feel blessed to be a Mom to my two incredible kiddos. They make me proud and so happy that I can say that I am their Mom. Big props also goes out to my Mom. She is an amazing woman.
I am attaching one of my favorite photos of Jack, Sparky and me. It was Jack's 10th birthday, and the day we decided we should shave my head. The hair was on its way out and Jack was fired up to be able to take a scissors to his Mom's head. I remember vividly, how cold my head felt after we were done, but more so, how happy I was to have those two little people by my side and how fortunate I felt to have Brendon there to say how beautiful I looked after it was all gone. Life truly is short, and I feel lucky to still be here.
So, Happy Mother's Day to all of the Mom's out there, whether it be to 2 legged people or to 4 legged fur people! You make a difference :-). Enjoy the rest of the night and remember ... Life is good. Enjoy it, love it and be kind to one another!!! Until next Sunday!!!
This is good! I agree with you re: fun - I am definitely trying to narrow down racing on the priority of whether it's likely to be a great day, and often that means doing a race with friends even if it's not exactly what I have trained for.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kind words. As for the photo op, you'll have it in your head forever:) Glad to hear you are comfy running now and getting good tips on nutrition. Enjoy the training and be impressed with yourself and how many miles you've logged.
ReplyDeleteLove it! Something similar happened to me on Timber Lane last year. Lady decided to try to high five people on both sides of the hill while riding and nearly took me out.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the journey!
It is good to see you seeing the benefits of all your drills and training. Fun is where it is at! Some find it fun to go as hard as possible, some to enjoy every minute. Good on you for finding your spot.
ReplyDeleteRobin