When I signed up for the half Ironman, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. I have a habit of doing that; just like when I signed up for the 50 miler after doing just one marathon. Nothing like jumping right in and just doing it. I don't like giving myself the option of not doing it. Once it's on the schedule, I know I'll do what it takes to get me across the finish line. And now, after what seems like the shortest summer of my life, I'm only a week and a half away from that finish line I've been thinking about for over 4 months.
I've definitely had my ups and downs during this training and I think I actually learned a few things about myself along the way. I mean, how could I have not? I've spent countless hours by myself over the past few months. Which has probably been the hardest part of this all. I am absolutely fine heading out for a long run by myself and most times when I'm alone, I enjoy the quiet time. But I'm not the one to turn down the opportunity to run with friends and I've missed that so much this summer. Maybe because my past 2 summers were spent attached to the hip of a friend as we trained for ultras, conquering not only back to back long runs but awesome 30+ mile runs together.
Even though I like the company, I know these solo monster bricks I did through training will serve me well on race day when I'm out there alone. I had my second big brick this past Saturday and due to the hurricane, I played it safe and did 3.5 hours on the trainer. Part of me is worried I took the easy way out by doing it on the trainer but after 77 miles, a shredded rear tire, and a pool of sweat on the floor, I'm hoping I made it worth my while. Time flew by on the trainer thanks to a Married With Children marathon and before I knew it I was heading out the door for a long run. I had an hour and half on the schedule and started off feeling great, legs ready to move. But within a few miles, the humidity got the best of me and I started to fade. I held on the best I could and finished up with 12 miles and between 5 - 5.5 hours of training.
Surprisingly, I felt GREAT after the workout despite horrific chafing that kept me wincing most of the day/night. I think I might have finally nailed my nutrition and found something that works for me. It was the first time in a very long time I didn't have stomach issues or feel exhausted afterwards. I didn't even take a nap and for anyone that knows me, that's a pretty big deal!
So, I'm finishing up this last big week before I slow down for a week of tapering. Physically I feel great and the last 2 big weeks of training I've felt my best. I was most scared of these two weeks but they weren't nearly as bad as I had envisioned when I first saw my schedule. And with that, it's given me a glimmer of hope that I might be able to tackle a *slightly* bigger goal if I choose to go that way.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Getting Ahead Of Myself
I really want to do a 5k or two once I get past these last few weeks of half Ironman training and the race itself. My paces have been coming really naturally lately and I'm dying to see what I could do with an all out effort. Funny that I'm running so much less than what I'm used to yet my paces are getting better and I finish each run feeling like it was such a quality workout. No more junk miles over here!! So, after I followed up my hour swim this morning with 7.5 miles, where I ran ladders at a 7:00 min/mi pace and felt like it was nothing, I decided it was time to register for that 5k. But first, I needed to know where I could fit it in during marathon training. And since I didn't have a training plan for Reggae put together, I got to work!!
I've never before enjoyed putting a plan together. In fact, I despised it and went back to my running coach time and time again for help and guidance. But that wasn't the case today. I took the plan I used for Shamrock, modified it a bit, and produced 12 kick ass weeks of training. While I was putting it together I couldn't help but think of all the hard work I put into training for Shamrock. I worked so hard, pushing the paces even more than I needed to for my 3:35 goal, and then was knocked on my butt the week of the race due to the flu. Yes, I still got my 3:35 finish, but I knew going into that race, during the race and after the race that I had much, much more in me. And it's been killing me ever since.
I got really excited today thinking about marathon training and the possibilities at Reggae. Maybe because I know my capabilities when it comes to running. I'm so much more confident with running and know that's why I'm eager to get back to marathons. But right now I can't get ahead of myself. I need to stay focused on this little 70.3 I have in 3 weeks. Once I have this race under my belt, I know the confidence will be there with triathlons, too. It's just the unknown distance right now hanging over my head, and the unknown can be a little scary.
But as I head into my final 2 hard weeks of training, I'm feeling great. I have a brick this Saturday (3:30 bike, 1:30 run) that's going to put me in my place and I'm actually excited for it. It's going to be the closest I'll get to race day and I'm looking forward to pushing through and finishing it feeling strong and confident. So no more talk about marathons until I cross the finish line on September 10th and am able to say...I am *half* of an Ironman!
I've never before enjoyed putting a plan together. In fact, I despised it and went back to my running coach time and time again for help and guidance. But that wasn't the case today. I took the plan I used for Shamrock, modified it a bit, and produced 12 kick ass weeks of training. While I was putting it together I couldn't help but think of all the hard work I put into training for Shamrock. I worked so hard, pushing the paces even more than I needed to for my 3:35 goal, and then was knocked on my butt the week of the race due to the flu. Yes, I still got my 3:35 finish, but I knew going into that race, during the race and after the race that I had much, much more in me. And it's been killing me ever since.
I got really excited today thinking about marathon training and the possibilities at Reggae. Maybe because I know my capabilities when it comes to running. I'm so much more confident with running and know that's why I'm eager to get back to marathons. But right now I can't get ahead of myself. I need to stay focused on this little 70.3 I have in 3 weeks. Once I have this race under my belt, I know the confidence will be there with triathlons, too. It's just the unknown distance right now hanging over my head, and the unknown can be a little scary.
But as I head into my final 2 hard weeks of training, I'm feeling great. I have a brick this Saturday (3:30 bike, 1:30 run) that's going to put me in my place and I'm actually excited for it. It's going to be the closest I'll get to race day and I'm looking forward to pushing through and finishing it feeling strong and confident. So no more talk about marathons until I cross the finish line on September 10th and am able to say...I am *half* of an Ironman!
Monday, August 15, 2011
First Big Brick...and a WINNER!!
This weekend I had my first of two killer brick sessions leading up to the race in September. Since I need to get used to the hills I'll be facing on race day, I decided to do 2 loops of the bike course and then some out and backs to make up any remaining time. After my flat tire on this course during the race the weekend before, and the fact that I was doing this workout solo, I was a little nervous. I knew I could push myself to do the workout, but being out there alone for almost 5 hours was going to be a good mental test. Since the half Ironman I'm doing is really small, I know I'll be alone during the race when things get tough so I need to be prepared for that.
I packed up for what looked like a weekend getaway and headed up to the lake bright and early Saturday morning. It was perfect weather and I was excited to see how the day would go. Right off the bat I felt ok being out there alone and with that confidence, I loosened up a bit and found myself really enjoying the ride. The hills on this course are rough and killed my pace on the bike, but that's ok. I had a lot I wanted to work on during this workout so not everything could be spot on. Hopefully my pace will improve on the course over the next 3 weekends since I'll be doing all my rides up there to get ready.
One of my main goals for this workout was to figure out nutrtion for race day. With the goal of 30-60g of carbohydrates per hour on the bike, I decided to split this up between a half of clif bar right at the start then use acceler-gels and sips of perpetuem throughout the ride. Since I know how my stomach gets during long workouts from Ultra training, and how certain foods just won't go down, I packed a poptart as a back up snack. I'm not sure there would ever be a moment during a race when I could turn down a strawberry frosted poptart! I was glad I packed it because mid second loop, I started to feel hungry and knew a gel wasn't going to cut it. While on the bike, not counting the clif bar right at the start, I consumed 430 calories and definitely not enough water. I rode 50 miles, my longest distance to date, and I was definitely hurting towards the end of it. My lower back, cooze, and legs were so ready to get off the bike and I let out more than a few moans of discomfort those last few miles.
After a quick transition I was out and running. I was so thirsty right from the get go and opted to run with just plain water. My goal was to eat a clif blok every 2 - 2.5 miles like I do for marathons since my stomach can't handle big surges of sugar on the run. My legs were pretty tired from all the hills on the bike but without even trying I fell right into race pace and held it steady for the majority of the run. I was in and out of the sun on a paved path and every time I hit the sun I started to feel a little funny. On top of that, I could barely choke down the bloks as planned and I was insanely thirsty. My plain water wasn't cutting it. I stopped at the boat rental shack to ask if they had ice because I was craving something cold to drink but unfortunately they didn't have any. Then right after that 30 second stop, I started to feel really emotional (sugar level definitely off) and I had some trouble breathing. It felt like I was about to hyperventilate so I stopped running to catch my breath. Within a minute or so I was running again and feeling ok but it was rough making my way back to my car. I had one huge hill in the sun around mile 9 that I decided to walk up and that sort of sucked. I'm usually really strong running hills but by this point, I was done. I made it back to my car, refilled my hand held with ice cold water and a nuun and set out for another mile. I was dying of thirst and ended up chugging half the bottle before the tablet even dissolved. Obviously need to work more on the nutrition and hydration!! I forgot to turn my Garmin on so I'm not exactly sure of my total distance, but it was between 10-11 miles.
After the workout, I mentally felt great. I know I could have ridden 6 more miles and ran 3 more if I needed to. So the race distance is a little less scary. The hills on the course are going to be a bitch though and I need to make sure I keep enough in the tank for the run. As for how I felt physically afterwards...BEAT! I was so tired and my legs were aching so badly as I drove home. When I called Andy to say I was on my way, the first thing out of my mouth was, "I'll never whine about marathon training again."
As for the winner of the Dick's Sporting Goods gift card, I assigned each entry a number and had Andy picked randomly. Lucky #4 is the winner...Sara from Words to Run By!! Sara, email me at dclaffey76@yahoo.com by Wednesday to claim your prize.
I packed up for what looked like a weekend getaway and headed up to the lake bright and early Saturday morning. It was perfect weather and I was excited to see how the day would go. Right off the bat I felt ok being out there alone and with that confidence, I loosened up a bit and found myself really enjoying the ride. The hills on this course are rough and killed my pace on the bike, but that's ok. I had a lot I wanted to work on during this workout so not everything could be spot on. Hopefully my pace will improve on the course over the next 3 weekends since I'll be doing all my rides up there to get ready.
One of my main goals for this workout was to figure out nutrtion for race day. With the goal of 30-60g of carbohydrates per hour on the bike, I decided to split this up between a half of clif bar right at the start then use acceler-gels and sips of perpetuem throughout the ride. Since I know how my stomach gets during long workouts from Ultra training, and how certain foods just won't go down, I packed a poptart as a back up snack. I'm not sure there would ever be a moment during a race when I could turn down a strawberry frosted poptart! I was glad I packed it because mid second loop, I started to feel hungry and knew a gel wasn't going to cut it. While on the bike, not counting the clif bar right at the start, I consumed 430 calories and definitely not enough water. I rode 50 miles, my longest distance to date, and I was definitely hurting towards the end of it. My lower back, cooze, and legs were so ready to get off the bike and I let out more than a few moans of discomfort those last few miles.
After a quick transition I was out and running. I was so thirsty right from the get go and opted to run with just plain water. My goal was to eat a clif blok every 2 - 2.5 miles like I do for marathons since my stomach can't handle big surges of sugar on the run. My legs were pretty tired from all the hills on the bike but without even trying I fell right into race pace and held it steady for the majority of the run. I was in and out of the sun on a paved path and every time I hit the sun I started to feel a little funny. On top of that, I could barely choke down the bloks as planned and I was insanely thirsty. My plain water wasn't cutting it. I stopped at the boat rental shack to ask if they had ice because I was craving something cold to drink but unfortunately they didn't have any. Then right after that 30 second stop, I started to feel really emotional (sugar level definitely off) and I had some trouble breathing. It felt like I was about to hyperventilate so I stopped running to catch my breath. Within a minute or so I was running again and feeling ok but it was rough making my way back to my car. I had one huge hill in the sun around mile 9 that I decided to walk up and that sort of sucked. I'm usually really strong running hills but by this point, I was done. I made it back to my car, refilled my hand held with ice cold water and a nuun and set out for another mile. I was dying of thirst and ended up chugging half the bottle before the tablet even dissolved. Obviously need to work more on the nutrition and hydration!! I forgot to turn my Garmin on so I'm not exactly sure of my total distance, but it was between 10-11 miles.
After the workout, I mentally felt great. I know I could have ridden 6 more miles and ran 3 more if I needed to. So the race distance is a little less scary. The hills on the course are going to be a bitch though and I need to make sure I keep enough in the tank for the run. As for how I felt physically afterwards...BEAT! I was so tired and my legs were aching so badly as I drove home. When I called Andy to say I was on my way, the first thing out of my mouth was, "I'll never whine about marathon training again."
As for the winner of the Dick's Sporting Goods gift card, I assigned each entry a number and had Andy picked randomly. Lucky #4 is the winner...Sara from Words to Run By!! Sara, email me at dclaffey76@yahoo.com by Wednesday to claim your prize.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
GIVEAWAY - $50 to Dicks Sporting Goods
Did you know that Independence
As for the contest they are running, by submitting a fitness-focused photo, you can enter for a chance to win up to a $500 spending spree at Dick's Sporting Goods. All you need to do is go to their Facebook page and follow the easy steps to submit your photo. You can also view other entries to get some ideas of what people are submitting. I know some of you have some great pictures from your workouts so give it a shot and see if you win!! Contest ends August 31, 2011 so hurry and submit your photo!
But now for a GIVEAWAY!! IBX is offering one of my followers a $50 gift card to Dick's Sporting Goods!! There are several ways to enter, each one worth an entry, so pick and choose how many ways you want to enter. Just be clear in your comment so I know how many entries to give you. I'll pick a winner on Sunday, August 14th.
Here are your entry options (note: contest open to followers only):
1 – Leave a comment on my blog with ways you stay healthy and fit
2 – Like IBX on Facebook
3 – Follow IBX on twitter
4 – Tweet about this giveaway with a link to the blog post and include @rundeniserun in the tweet
GOOD LUCK!!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Steelman Tri Race Report
I originally registered for this race so I'd have one more chance at an open water swim before the 70.3 in September. This race is at the same location so I thought it was the perfect choice. But after a successful Olympic distance 2 weeks ago where I didn't panic in the water, I started looking at this race as more than just a practice swim. With 2 tris under my belt, I wanted to push a little more and see what I had in me.
I woke up to a storm and pouring rain at 4:15am and questioned if I even wanted to go. I don't mind being wet but I wasn't interested in doing a Duathlon. Thankfully, once I arrived at the park the rain stopped and the skies cleared. It was muggy as hell, but at least we'd be able to swim.
It was a long morning of waiting around but hitting the port o pots a gazillion times helped pass the time. I think I finally figured out what's causing the stomach issues...coconut water. I'm going to lay off it for a while before workouts and see if the issues stop. I usually drink it for the extra potassium in attempt to ward off the calf cramps that I get.
Finally, with about a half hour to go before we entered the water, my stomach calmed down. I was 100% calm and just ready to do my thing. It was an in-water, tread start, and the water was around 78 degrees. Much better than the 88 degrees 2 weeks ago. While there weren't many people in my wave, everyone was right on top of each other. Each time I found my own little spot, 2 people would swim over and get right on top of me. I remained calm but when the gun went off, I couldn't get into a rhythm. All the way to the first buoy I kept my head up and was avoiding kicking feet. When we rounded the first buoy I finally found some space but at this point my legs felt so heavy. I tried to focus on using my upper body and really pulling but I don't think I succeeded very well. While I didn't panic, I never felt that comfortable and mentally my head wasn't in it. Mid swim I started thinking that I shouldn't do any more tris, I should just ride for fun and stick to running. I pushed the thoughts away by trying to remember the positive experience I had at NJ State but I was frustrated with myself that these thoughts ever surfaced in the first place. I plugged along, doing what I could and was so happy to see the final turn around which took me out of the water. I knew when I exited the lake that I was nowhere near where I had hoped to be, but happy to be out of there I was ready to kill it on the bike and run.
Swim - 19:37
T1 - 2:21 (long run back to transition!!)
The start of the bike was a long up hill climb out of the park to the main road where the race took place with 2 out and backs. My legs were burning leaving the park but I pushed hard knowing I had rolling hills where my legs could get a break once I got to the top. When I got up to the main road I was feeling really good! I was holding my own and trying my best to plow through the hills. One second I'd be going 27 mph down a hill, the next, doing anything I could to hit 10 mph going back up! I passed A TON of people with flats on the first half and wondered what the heck was going on. I know I'm new to this sport but I couldn't believe how many people were having bike issues. I felt so bad for them. Little did I know I'd be in the same exact situation soon enough.
Right after the final turn around, while climbing a hill, I started to feel like I was bouncing. Then...the dreaded sound of a flat tire. I pulled to the side of the road, dismounted and just stared at my bike. Having never changed a flat before, I didn't know if I should attempt it or walk it in to T2. It was around mile 11 so I still had 2 + miles to go. I walked a bit and saw a girl up ahead changing her tire. When I reached her and saw she was struggling, I suggested we help each other. Well, within a minute, there was a guy who joined us with a flat and a minute after that, another girl. The 4 of us sat there working on each other's bikes while people with flat tires road by us. What was going on??!!
I have no idea how long it took for this, but it was forever!! We had 2 race officials on scooters stop to tell us the wagon was on its way to help, but it never showed up. After we all got fixed up, we slowly headed to the finish. Unfortunately, 2 people flatted again immediately. I knew I didn't have enough air in my tire so I had to ride it into the finish so...freaking...slow. It was horrible. By the time I reached the dismount line, I wasn't sure if I was even going to head out for the run. But I didn't want to run when I got home so I decided to just take it easy and finish.
Bike - 1:41:41 (shoot me)
T2 - 1:43
I completely took my time in T2 and then headed out for the run. I didn't really care at this point how I did or what pace I ran. It was hot and humid as hell and I was just happy to see there were still sprint runners out there and I wouldn't be dead last. Nothing to say about the run really, except that this is definitely my strong suit and I want to find a 5k to do some time soon. If I can do this easily, I want to see what I can do when I'm fresh and pushing as hard as I can.
Run - 23:02 (7:26 pace)
Sigh...overall time...2:28:23. People did the Olympic distance faster than I did the sprint! At first, I was ok with everything. It is what it is. I never got upset or frustrated out there on the bike and just took what the day gave me. It was bound to happen some day and I'm hoping this gives me a flat free pass for the 70.3. But as I'm sitting here thinking about the race, I'm getting really bummed about how the day went down. The bike is one thing but my swim is another. The swim IS in my control and I'm completely disappointed with my time.
So, definitely not the race I was hoping for but it was a learning experience. I am proud of myself for sucking it up and finishing because when I entered T2, I really wanted to call it a day. I'm all about training and races building my mental toughness and this race definitely did that. Now I just need to get mentally tough with the swim because I'm really a little rattled by this whole Tri business and I'm starting to worry about what's in store for me in 5 short weeks. And honestly, I'm a little worried I bit off more than I can chew.
I woke up to a storm and pouring rain at 4:15am and questioned if I even wanted to go. I don't mind being wet but I wasn't interested in doing a Duathlon. Thankfully, once I arrived at the park the rain stopped and the skies cleared. It was muggy as hell, but at least we'd be able to swim.
It was a long morning of waiting around but hitting the port o pots a gazillion times helped pass the time. I think I finally figured out what's causing the stomach issues...coconut water. I'm going to lay off it for a while before workouts and see if the issues stop. I usually drink it for the extra potassium in attempt to ward off the calf cramps that I get.
Finally, with about a half hour to go before we entered the water, my stomach calmed down. I was 100% calm and just ready to do my thing. It was an in-water, tread start, and the water was around 78 degrees. Much better than the 88 degrees 2 weeks ago. While there weren't many people in my wave, everyone was right on top of each other. Each time I found my own little spot, 2 people would swim over and get right on top of me. I remained calm but when the gun went off, I couldn't get into a rhythm. All the way to the first buoy I kept my head up and was avoiding kicking feet. When we rounded the first buoy I finally found some space but at this point my legs felt so heavy. I tried to focus on using my upper body and really pulling but I don't think I succeeded very well. While I didn't panic, I never felt that comfortable and mentally my head wasn't in it. Mid swim I started thinking that I shouldn't do any more tris, I should just ride for fun and stick to running. I pushed the thoughts away by trying to remember the positive experience I had at NJ State but I was frustrated with myself that these thoughts ever surfaced in the first place. I plugged along, doing what I could and was so happy to see the final turn around which took me out of the water. I knew when I exited the lake that I was nowhere near where I had hoped to be, but happy to be out of there I was ready to kill it on the bike and run.
Swim - 19:37
T1 - 2:21 (long run back to transition!!)
The start of the bike was a long up hill climb out of the park to the main road where the race took place with 2 out and backs. My legs were burning leaving the park but I pushed hard knowing I had rolling hills where my legs could get a break once I got to the top. When I got up to the main road I was feeling really good! I was holding my own and trying my best to plow through the hills. One second I'd be going 27 mph down a hill, the next, doing anything I could to hit 10 mph going back up! I passed A TON of people with flats on the first half and wondered what the heck was going on. I know I'm new to this sport but I couldn't believe how many people were having bike issues. I felt so bad for them. Little did I know I'd be in the same exact situation soon enough.
Right after the final turn around, while climbing a hill, I started to feel like I was bouncing. Then...the dreaded sound of a flat tire. I pulled to the side of the road, dismounted and just stared at my bike. Having never changed a flat before, I didn't know if I should attempt it or walk it in to T2. It was around mile 11 so I still had 2 + miles to go. I walked a bit and saw a girl up ahead changing her tire. When I reached her and saw she was struggling, I suggested we help each other. Well, within a minute, there was a guy who joined us with a flat and a minute after that, another girl. The 4 of us sat there working on each other's bikes while people with flat tires road by us. What was going on??!!
I have no idea how long it took for this, but it was forever!! We had 2 race officials on scooters stop to tell us the wagon was on its way to help, but it never showed up. After we all got fixed up, we slowly headed to the finish. Unfortunately, 2 people flatted again immediately. I knew I didn't have enough air in my tire so I had to ride it into the finish so...freaking...slow. It was horrible. By the time I reached the dismount line, I wasn't sure if I was even going to head out for the run. But I didn't want to run when I got home so I decided to just take it easy and finish.
Bike - 1:41:41 (shoot me)
T2 - 1:43
I completely took my time in T2 and then headed out for the run. I didn't really care at this point how I did or what pace I ran. It was hot and humid as hell and I was just happy to see there were still sprint runners out there and I wouldn't be dead last. Nothing to say about the run really, except that this is definitely my strong suit and I want to find a 5k to do some time soon. If I can do this easily, I want to see what I can do when I'm fresh and pushing as hard as I can.
Run - 23:02 (7:26 pace)
Sigh...overall time...2:28:23. People did the Olympic distance faster than I did the sprint! At first, I was ok with everything. It is what it is. I never got upset or frustrated out there on the bike and just took what the day gave me. It was bound to happen some day and I'm hoping this gives me a flat free pass for the 70.3. But as I'm sitting here thinking about the race, I'm getting really bummed about how the day went down. The bike is one thing but my swim is another. The swim IS in my control and I'm completely disappointed with my time.
So, definitely not the race I was hoping for but it was a learning experience. I am proud of myself for sucking it up and finishing because when I entered T2, I really wanted to call it a day. I'm all about training and races building my mental toughness and this race definitely did that. Now I just need to get mentally tough with the swim because I'm really a little rattled by this whole Tri business and I'm starting to worry about what's in store for me in 5 short weeks. And honestly, I'm a little worried I bit off more than I can chew.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Fear Conquered!
After a week off work and a long weekend away with friends, I started this week feeling more exhausted than I did before my time off!! I had high hopes of catching up on sleep and napping my afternoons away while I was off but that didn't happen. I was on the go pretty much all week before I left town then racked up late nights of having too much fun. While the time away was fun and totally worth it, I definitely can't handle late nights and cocktails like I used to. And I now know there won't be any crazy trips during peak training next year; I'll save it for after race season.
I've been feeling a little sluggish during my workouts this week, but I'm getting them done. I have 5 big weeks until my 70.3 and I'm determined bounce back after all the debauchery this weekend and stay focused. Thankfully, I can finally report something positive about the pool and swimming so that's got me really excited. Since the Olympic Tri a little over a week ago, my pool sessions have been great. Prior to the race I was struggling mentally and dreaded every time I had to swim. But since the Olympic, things have completely changed. My first swim went so well I thought it was just due to the post race high, but every pool workout since then has gone equally as well. I'm not dreading the time in the pool and time doesn't seem to stand still anymore. On top of that, I used to stop for a quick water break/stretch (aka mental break) every few hundred yards but now I might stop once to grab a drink and then get right back to it.
I think I was so scared of the unknown and whether or not I could do it that I had myself psyched out. Standing on the beach before the Olympic I seriously didn't think I could swim that far. Now that I did it, without freaking out, I feel 100% confident about the swim for the 70.3. If I can swim .9 miles, I can definitely swim 1.2 miles. And knowing that makes the pool, dare I say, enjoyable.
I have a Sprint Tri this weekend that I'm really excited for. Originally I signed up for this so I'd have one more chance at an open water swim before September in case I panicked at the Olympic. But now that I know I'm good to go, I'm looking forward to it and seeing what I can do! It's the best feeling when you conquer a fear.
I've been feeling a little sluggish during my workouts this week, but I'm getting them done. I have 5 big weeks until my 70.3 and I'm determined bounce back after all the debauchery this weekend and stay focused. Thankfully, I can finally report something positive about the pool and swimming so that's got me really excited. Since the Olympic Tri a little over a week ago, my pool sessions have been great. Prior to the race I was struggling mentally and dreaded every time I had to swim. But since the Olympic, things have completely changed. My first swim went so well I thought it was just due to the post race high, but every pool workout since then has gone equally as well. I'm not dreading the time in the pool and time doesn't seem to stand still anymore. On top of that, I used to stop for a quick water break/stretch (aka mental break) every few hundred yards but now I might stop once to grab a drink and then get right back to it.
I think I was so scared of the unknown and whether or not I could do it that I had myself psyched out. Standing on the beach before the Olympic I seriously didn't think I could swim that far. Now that I did it, without freaking out, I feel 100% confident about the swim for the 70.3. If I can swim .9 miles, I can definitely swim 1.2 miles. And knowing that makes the pool, dare I say, enjoyable.
I have a Sprint Tri this weekend that I'm really excited for. Originally I signed up for this so I'd have one more chance at an open water swim before September in case I panicked at the Olympic. But now that I know I'm good to go, I'm looking forward to it and seeing what I can do! It's the best feeling when you conquer a fear.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)