So far most of my blogs have been recaps of training weekends. As I stated when I started this thing, my memory is HORRIFIC so this blog is my way of making sure I remember what happened. But now that we are two weeks from the race, I feel it's a good time to give my overall thoughts/lessons learned from training and my goals for the race itself.
This last 9 months has been an incredibly fulfilling experience. I have poured my heart and soul into this training. Despite a few lapses in motivation, I have made all but one of the big training rides/runs and in doing so have built some great friendships. I rode farther than I ever have before and have shifted my viewpoint on what constitutes an "easy" ride or run. No matter what happens September 9th, I am declaring this Ironman journey a success. Yes, something could go wrong and I may not finish the race. But I am confident that the "something wrong" will not be me not being fit enough, or in shape enough, or dedicated enough. It will be a mechanical issue that I am incapable of fixing, an unexpected illness, or something else outside of my control. At this point I have put in the work and I believe it will pay off in two weeks. But if it doesn't, I will just try again.
Overall random thoughts:
1) After a summer of eating honey stinger gels (which is basically shots of honey with added electrolytes), I think I have lost any desire to ever taste honey again (or for a very long time). This saddens me more than words can express.
2) After a summer of eating peanut butter in a variety of forms (mmmmm, uncrustables!), I could still eat peanut butter every day.
3) I have succesfully learned how to ride back on a dropped chain (a chain that fell off the gears) and now only have to stop about 25% of the times I drop my chain (which happens a lot). Success!
4) My next Ironman (yes, I do plan on doing more just not right away), I really want to focus on nutrition outside of exercise.
5) Team Z is an incredibly supportive community with so many amazing people - I can't imagine this journey without them. I am so grateful to Sherri for letting me talk myself into signing up for the race (despite me disappearing for a year) and cheering me on even when injury delayed her Ironman journey. And I am thankful for my favorite Kiwi's, Mary and Mark, who never fail to offer me encouragement/good advice that have increased my knowledge and confidence. The last time I was on the team, I met people, but I did not throw myself into the team like I did this year and it was easier for me to walk away for awhile. As with anything, the more you put into something, the more you get out of it. I can't imagine NOT being on the team now.
6) Before this year, I wasn't comfortable riding a bike without being clipped in (wearing bike shoes that clip into the pedals). The fact that I rode 50 miles this weekend in sneakers (and the fact that I consider the 50 miles to be an "easy" ride, even in sneakers) is a true testament to how much stronger of a biker I have become.
7) I cannot wait to sleep in! and watch the first two seasons of Downtown Abbey! and do some hot yoga! and get back into strength training! and go hiking! and see all my friends I have neglected! and sleep in! and just completely veg all day! after sleeping in!
8) Did I mention I can't wait to sleep in? And perhaps being physically capable of staying up after 9pm?
9) After the race, my plan is to do nothing for two weeks, do hot yoga before work for two weeks, then slowly ease back into running/biking. After that I will pick my next adventure...perhaps a spring marathon? perhaps not?
10) Swimming and I are more at peace then we used to be, but I cannot wait to not swim for a solid month or two or three or four or even five. Any more than five give me a stern lecture.
Bonus: I have a 90 minutes massage scheduled two weeks after the race! Yes!!!
Goals
Now for goals. My main goal is to just finish. Ideally, I would like to finish in 15 hours feeling awesome. My biggest concern is the bike cutoff (5:30pm) because with my pace I will be cutting it close. I should be able to do it though. After that, I have 6 1/2 hours to do the marathon. When I have blown up at miles 18 or 21 of two of the marathons I have done, I still managed to finish in under five hours. My new favorite motto "keep calm and carry on" will be my mantra for this race.I think my time splits will be as follows:
Swim: 1:40
Bike: 8 1/2 hours
Run: 5+ hours
No matter how I feel, I want to make sure I take time to really enjoy the experience. I want to moo at the first swim turn buoy (an Ironman MOO tradition). I want to enjoy the scenery on the bike (I think my choice of this race is in part because I am a farm girl at heart despite growing up in the suburbs). And most importantly, I want to get as many high fives as I can on the run course. I might even stop and walk the finisher's chute to soak in the energy and enthusiasm of the crowd. No matter what happens in the future, you only complete your first Ironman once. I want to cherish this moment, as I have the 9 months of moments leading up to it.
Most of all, I want to thank everyone for your support on this journey! I could not have done it without everyone's encouragement along the way. I promise to come up with a new conversation topic in October (because September will be spent recapping the race...sorry in advance).
You are going to rock this!
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