Well, my adult version is Ironman Mont Tremblant. I'm so excited I can't sit still, can't concentrate, can't think or talk about anything but. I have a race plan that is seven pages long and a binder with the Ironman logo emblazoned on the front and tabs separating sheafs of paper. I've created an elaborate spreadsheet to calculate potential pace goals and … well … set race goals.
That in itself is momentous. This will be the first time I've ever had such specific and ambitious goals. I've set them for each sport and both transitions, with a finishing time that I think I can achieve if I have a good day. It's a scary thing for me to do that since my entire racing career's modus operandi has been to set low goals, typically exceed them, and consequently have a great time. So of course, the natural question is, how will I react if I set goals and don't reach them? Will I still have a great time?
I think so. I hope so. I'm looking forward to this race so much in part because my training has been outstanding and I've improved my speed and strength tremendously this year. But I'm equally excited because of who I will be racing with. There will be 65 Team Zers up there, plus their families, friends and auxiliary sherpas. Some I know better than others, but others I have known for years and come to love as friends and I can't wait to see them crush their goals, overcome adversities and cross that finish line as Ironmen.
The past two weeks have been a whirl of workouts and event juggling. Long time readers will remember that the peak training weekend is a 20 mile run, followed by a 120 mile bike ride. I've had mixed success in the past (see 2009 run, ride, 2012 finishing the 120), and this year's attempt was to be sandwiched inbetween a birthday (Friday night) and a wedding (Saturday night) and a century ride (Monday, for Mark). We dubbed the weekend Operation SpandexChapel.
Day 1, the 20 mile run went well. I even managed to run the whole thing instead of run/walking which I usually will do and will do for the Ironman. That was a big confidence booster.
Next up was to drive out to the Eastern Shore for our friends' beautiful waterside wedding. We had such a wonderful time catching up with teammates all dressed up and dancing. I'm including the photo because those of you are Facebook friends of ours, you won't believe that we wear anything except bike shorts or sneakers. With the occasional wetsuit thrown in. Nope - this was all prettiness. And some impressing engineering.
The next morning, we slept in until 6 and headed out to Nokesville for the 120 ride. My plan was to wait in the parking lot for my friends as they came in from the 30 mile loop and head out with them for the next 90 odd. What a fantastic ride. Good company, fast roads, pleasant weather. After we finished (including an 8 mile time trial back to the parking lot because Rich suggested it), I rode back out to find my mate Mark who coached me to the Chesapeake Bay swim and rode in with him for a round 100 miles on the day.
At one of the rest stops, this photo was taken of me and my bike husband Rich, with whom I've spent literally more than a hundred hours this year riding & running together. He's kept me laughing the whole time and paced me up the final four soul sucking miles of Mountains of Misery. My role in the relationship has been to plan the big rides and keep him from going too fast and blowing his Z2 training. I think it's been a fair exchange.
I would be remiss not to mention that my actual husband rode 150 miles on Thursday, 50 on Sunday and then turned around for another 100 with a friend who'd just gotten back from an overseas trip a couple of days before. 300 miles in five days. Not too shabby, eh?
I finished the 20/120 weekend feeling energized and confident and not at all sore. The next week however saw me going for my second cup of caffeine by about 10 in the mornings. I think "sleepy" was the most common adjective used on Facebook amongst my Ironman teammates.
This week however, I've come to the realization that I'm failing at taper. You're supposed to feel like crap. But I feel great. My speed workouts have been strong and smooth and consistent. Yes I tire easily like when climbing stairs, but otherwise, I'm full of energy (see first paragraph) and obnoxiously Tigger-like. I'm sure it'll hit me at some point, but I'm enjoying the feeling so far.
I was thinking about all this over the past couple of days. All year I've been afraid that IMMT is feeling like IMLP and after IMLP, I had a major crash and sank into depression for a couple of years (thanks mostly to the unemployment). But I'm realizing that there are subtle but important differences this time around, starting with the lack of broken bones and being fired just before the race. Yes, there are some sadnesses around former friends who aren't here to share in the experience, but even that is fading in the face of everything else in my life. My training is going extremely well, my general achiness only came on a couple of weeks ago as opposed to a couple of months ago, I have a good job with a great boss, new friends, old friends, races and events that have shown me what I might be able to accomplish this time around, plans for after Ironman that range from the pedestrian to the crazy, a trip home to look forward to and plan for, and goals for next year that include bike touring with Mark, Mountains of Misery double metro century (yikes!) with Rich and whoever else we can rope in, and PR'ing my marathon. And maybe a few other fun things thrown in.
18 days out from my first Ironman, I had written on my sling "This will not stop me, I will become an Ironman." Eight days to go I lost my job, and my mojo only reappeared 7 days out. All in all, I'm in a much happier place this time around and very very grateful to be here.
17 sleeps to go!
2 comments:
Auxiliary Sherpa at your service. I saw you at IMLP and I'll see you at IMMT. It's been a pleasure to read about your triumphs this year.
Cannot wait to watch you tear up the course and have fun doing it.
Post a Comment