When the fun is gone what is left? I think most people would agree that they train and race for fun. That said, most people would probably tell you that most of what they do in life is for fun. Why would you do something that isn't fun?
I've recently met someone who is training for her first half marathon. She's having fun while doing it and has commented she will only run for as long as running remains fun. That makes sense to me and I can understand where she is coming from. Again, why would you do something that isn't fun?
I still enjoy swimming (sometimes), biking and running but more and more lately I am not having fun training for this race. Training has totally consumed every aspect of my life. It is all I do and all I have time to do. Some weeks near 40 hours of training and my Saturday's are completely spent working out. I knew this race would be a big commitment but I didn't think it would be to this extent. It is just as draining mentally as it is physically. The ability for me to stay motivated is becoming a little harder each week. I am still excited about this race but a little more each week I am just wishing it was already over. I start thinking about life post-race when I can have my time back. Those thoughts are not good ones to have going into a race that will take all that I have physically and mentally to finish. Training with Peter is preparing my body for this race. What I am worried about now is that my mind won't be ready.
So what happens when the fun is gone...I think the answer for me is that negativity sets in. I don't want to be negative but it is getting harder to find the fun in all this training. Yesterday I had company for a good part of my long run and we talked briefly about a similar topic. A comment was made about how lucky we are to see the world through a much slower pace, running, and how much more we are able to notice as compared to speeding around in cars. Anyone who has run or biked will attest to being able to see a lot more of the world this way. I used to have fun noticing little things that I've never seen before but lately my mind is in other places. I'm not looking around and seeing the beauty in the little things. There is so much beauty out there and I am not taking advantage of the opportunities to see it.
As I sit here writing this blog this morning I am making a promise to myself that I will make more of an effort to have fun these last 10 weeks of training. I will try harder to find the beauty in the things that I once noticed but lately seem long forgotten. I need to shift my mindset from thinking of my training as a chore to reminding myself that I do this for fun. It is a hobby and I am the one that made the choice to do this. When the fun is gone...one must work towards getting it back.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Improper nutrition + lack of sleep = poor recovery week
A little improper nutrition and a week of staying up later then usual, not sleeping well, resulted in a pretty poor recovery week for me. For the second time in the few months that I have been training with Peter I had a recovery week. Unlike the last time, this was an entire week of reduced volume. So how do I handle a week of moderate training??? Very poorly!
The week started out OK and I did all of my workouts but as the week went on I wasn't eating appropriately and wasn't sleeping well. On Saturday and Sunday I certainly felt the effects. My workouts this past weekend were litteraly half as long as the weekend before but really did feel about twice as hard. Part of it was the weather but I think a lot of it had to do with not being well rested and not being propely fueled. One of the best things about training is that you learn things about your body and how different stimuli effect your body in different ways. What I learned this past weekend is that I need to keep my calorie intake up and make sure I sleep as much as possible going into the weekend.
My last blog was about my issues with food. These issues still continue so this week one of my goals is to reach out to a few nutritionists and find someone to work with. I need some new ideas, some new foods to try, and a solid plan for pre and post workout meals. The lack of sleep part is easy to resolve- I simply need to sleep more. Since I am semi-unemployed at the moment I have no excuse not to sleep in. Today I slept until 6:30am. It feels like the day is almost half over already but I do feel well rested.
With a recovery week behind me and 11 weeks until race day I am still feeling good. I am a little afraid of what Peter has in store for me over the coming weeks but I am ready to continue building up my training volume. So far so good...
The week started out OK and I did all of my workouts but as the week went on I wasn't eating appropriately and wasn't sleeping well. On Saturday and Sunday I certainly felt the effects. My workouts this past weekend were litteraly half as long as the weekend before but really did feel about twice as hard. Part of it was the weather but I think a lot of it had to do with not being well rested and not being propely fueled. One of the best things about training is that you learn things about your body and how different stimuli effect your body in different ways. What I learned this past weekend is that I need to keep my calorie intake up and make sure I sleep as much as possible going into the weekend.
My last blog was about my issues with food. These issues still continue so this week one of my goals is to reach out to a few nutritionists and find someone to work with. I need some new ideas, some new foods to try, and a solid plan for pre and post workout meals. The lack of sleep part is easy to resolve- I simply need to sleep more. Since I am semi-unemployed at the moment I have no excuse not to sleep in. Today I slept until 6:30am. It feels like the day is almost half over already but I do feel well rested.
With a recovery week behind me and 11 weeks until race day I am still feeling good. I am a little afraid of what Peter has in store for me over the coming weeks but I am ready to continue building up my training volume. So far so good...
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Food- the hardest part about training
Who would have thought that eating would be difficult? You'd think that the more you train the more you'd want to eat. Actually the opposite is happening to me. Over the past few weeks the more I train the hungrier I become but at the same time- the less I want to eat.
More often than not I find myself staring into the fridge and pantry, my stomach turning, and nothing looks good to me. It is frustrating to say the least. My body is starving for calories but it takes all that I have to be able to eat. What makes it worse is that these feelings are inconsistent throughout the day. One minute I can be sick to my stomach when I think about food and the next minute I get so hungry there isn't enough food in front of me to satisfy my appetite.
On the weekends when I do my longest bike rides I wake up in the middle of the night and eat. Last weekend I ate all 960 calories of a Trader Joe's spinach pizza at 2:15am. I woke up to use the bathroom and was ravaged by hunger so I thought I'd eat something...I didn't expect to destroy a whole pizza before going back to bed. I suppose my body needed it though. I eat a fairly healthy diet but the further I go into training for this race the more junk food I pump into my body. When I am sick to my stomach and nothing in my house looks good to me I turn to highly processed sugary foods and they always seem to go down easy. Of course after I eat it I feel guilty because it is not what I normally would eat and is far from natural and whole. Food used to be fun and I loved trying new things. Now food has turned into a challenge and what I end up eating half of the time is far from nutritionally balanced. I think I may need to turn to another nutritionist to help me in my last few months of training. I need some new ideas of new foods to try and I need to be eating the most nutritionally dense foods out there to make sure I am giving my body what it needs.
Do you remember the Michael Phelps diet skit on Saturday Night Live? They joked about him eating 10,000 calories a day? Well that sometimes feels like my reality...except that I can't stomach it. I get so hungry sometimes I feel sick, then I eat and feel even more sick, until it is digested and I feel normal again. Training is slowly turning me against food which was once one of the best things about training. I used to train so I could eat without guilt...now I eat, with guilt, just to have the fuel to be able to train. Who would have thought.
Today I need to thank Melinda Yelton. Last season's coach, a good friend, and an amazing athlete. For the past two Wednesday's she has run part of my long runs with me. Sometimes I feel that I am out there by myself and doing this alone so it is nice to have someones company for parts of my runs. She has helped to keep me motivated, kept me on pace, and has given me so much good advice. Thanks Melinda for all of your help, your company, and your friendship.
This may come as a shock but...off to the pool I go!
More often than not I find myself staring into the fridge and pantry, my stomach turning, and nothing looks good to me. It is frustrating to say the least. My body is starving for calories but it takes all that I have to be able to eat. What makes it worse is that these feelings are inconsistent throughout the day. One minute I can be sick to my stomach when I think about food and the next minute I get so hungry there isn't enough food in front of me to satisfy my appetite.
On the weekends when I do my longest bike rides I wake up in the middle of the night and eat. Last weekend I ate all 960 calories of a Trader Joe's spinach pizza at 2:15am. I woke up to use the bathroom and was ravaged by hunger so I thought I'd eat something...I didn't expect to destroy a whole pizza before going back to bed. I suppose my body needed it though. I eat a fairly healthy diet but the further I go into training for this race the more junk food I pump into my body. When I am sick to my stomach and nothing in my house looks good to me I turn to highly processed sugary foods and they always seem to go down easy. Of course after I eat it I feel guilty because it is not what I normally would eat and is far from natural and whole. Food used to be fun and I loved trying new things. Now food has turned into a challenge and what I end up eating half of the time is far from nutritionally balanced. I think I may need to turn to another nutritionist to help me in my last few months of training. I need some new ideas of new foods to try and I need to be eating the most nutritionally dense foods out there to make sure I am giving my body what it needs.
Do you remember the Michael Phelps diet skit on Saturday Night Live? They joked about him eating 10,000 calories a day? Well that sometimes feels like my reality...except that I can't stomach it. I get so hungry sometimes I feel sick, then I eat and feel even more sick, until it is digested and I feel normal again. Training is slowly turning me against food which was once one of the best things about training. I used to train so I could eat without guilt...now I eat, with guilt, just to have the fuel to be able to train. Who would have thought.
Today I need to thank Melinda Yelton. Last season's coach, a good friend, and an amazing athlete. For the past two Wednesday's she has run part of my long runs with me. Sometimes I feel that I am out there by myself and doing this alone so it is nice to have someones company for parts of my runs. She has helped to keep me motivated, kept me on pace, and has given me so much good advice. Thanks Melinda for all of your help, your company, and your friendship.
This may come as a shock but...off to the pool I go!
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Changes...
Training for this race is changing me in ways I hadn't imagined. The changes sometimes seem too many to list. I knew there would be some physical changes associated with an increase in my training load but the mental and physical changes that I seem to be going through are totally unexpected.
This past week I looked in the mirror and for the first time in the four years since I've lost all my weight I noticed my body changing again. For those who didn't know me a few years ago I used to weigh a little over 200 pounds. Through a combination of diet and exercise I lost about 50 pounds (as much at 65 at one point) in a few month period and have been fortunate to keep it off. This week I also realized that my shorts don't fit right anymore. I haven't lost any more weight but have lost at least another inch off my waist. If I didn't know better I'd say my waist is down to 30". No 6'1" grown man should have a 30" waist!!! The good news is that my weight is being maintained. Any body fat I had is being used as fuel and in it's place muscles seem to be growing. Through the combination of swimming, biking and running my body is changing yet again.
I pretty much feel completely exhausted most of the time. As a result I seem to be crankier, grumpier, and more forgetfull. I've come close to letting some bills slip through the cracks and sometimes catch myself being irrationally upset for no reason. Sometimes the littlest of things upset me. I would consider myself a pretty happy go lucky person who smiles and laughs at most things. Lately I feel like a completely different person. Smiling seems to be further and far between and almost daily I seem to forget something that moments earlier I had told myself not to.
Today when I finished my workout Luna and I went to the grocery store. I walked out to the car and opened the door to get in and I realized that my car is filthy. I thought to myself, "what have I become?" My car is never dirty! I have been training so much that I've let that slip too. What's next??? What else am I forgetting to do these days?
Don't get me wrong- I am still excited about my race. I have no regrets with regards to the sacrifices that I've had to make to train for it but I dream of what my life will be like after the race is over. I can't wait to sleep in both during the week and on the weekends. I can't wait to have a social life again. Three different people have asked me this week what my social life is like these days and I've had to respond to them that I don't have one. In the last few weeks I have made more of an effort to get out of the house, do some things, and meet some new people and am so glad I did. I can't keep hiding behind my training as an excuse not to move forward in certain areas of my life. I am working on finding a happy medium- a balance between training and living.
Come October I will be ready to have my life back, to smile more and to do the things that I haven't been able to do lately.
This past week I looked in the mirror and for the first time in the four years since I've lost all my weight I noticed my body changing again. For those who didn't know me a few years ago I used to weigh a little over 200 pounds. Through a combination of diet and exercise I lost about 50 pounds (as much at 65 at one point) in a few month period and have been fortunate to keep it off. This week I also realized that my shorts don't fit right anymore. I haven't lost any more weight but have lost at least another inch off my waist. If I didn't know better I'd say my waist is down to 30". No 6'1" grown man should have a 30" waist!!! The good news is that my weight is being maintained. Any body fat I had is being used as fuel and in it's place muscles seem to be growing. Through the combination of swimming, biking and running my body is changing yet again.
I pretty much feel completely exhausted most of the time. As a result I seem to be crankier, grumpier, and more forgetfull. I've come close to letting some bills slip through the cracks and sometimes catch myself being irrationally upset for no reason. Sometimes the littlest of things upset me. I would consider myself a pretty happy go lucky person who smiles and laughs at most things. Lately I feel like a completely different person. Smiling seems to be further and far between and almost daily I seem to forget something that moments earlier I had told myself not to.
Today when I finished my workout Luna and I went to the grocery store. I walked out to the car and opened the door to get in and I realized that my car is filthy. I thought to myself, "what have I become?" My car is never dirty! I have been training so much that I've let that slip too. What's next??? What else am I forgetting to do these days?
Don't get me wrong- I am still excited about my race. I have no regrets with regards to the sacrifices that I've had to make to train for it but I dream of what my life will be like after the race is over. I can't wait to sleep in both during the week and on the weekends. I can't wait to have a social life again. Three different people have asked me this week what my social life is like these days and I've had to respond to them that I don't have one. In the last few weeks I have made more of an effort to get out of the house, do some things, and meet some new people and am so glad I did. I can't keep hiding behind my training as an excuse not to move forward in certain areas of my life. I am working on finding a happy medium- a balance between training and living.
Come October I will be ready to have my life back, to smile more and to do the things that I haven't been able to do lately.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Strip clubs and McDonalds
Yup, you read it correctly- I said strip club! Exciting blog title isn't it?
For the past five weeks my alarm has been set for 2:47am on Saturday morning. My goal has been to get out on the bike by 3:45am to start my workout. I have done this because I think it is good training considering my race will take more than 24 hours to complete and because for me to get in the mileage that Peter wants me to do I need to start that early. The hardest thing about getting up this early is trying to eat breakfast at 3:00am. Drinking coffee at this time is easy but forcing yourself to eat a bagel, peanut butter, a banana and yogurt that early is quite a task. It honestly hasn't gotten any easier over the past few weeks. My stomach just isn't ready to eat that early but I know I have to. However, I have honed my routine and can get out the door a little earlier each week! By the time the race comes I expect to be out the door riding before 3:00am.
So you may be asking yourself where do strip clubs and McDonalds come into play? I assure you that strip clubs are not a part of training nor is McDonalds part of my diet! When I leave my apartment to ride my bike at 3:45ish in the morning the only people I see are those at a nearby strip club and those waiting in line at a McDonalds drive thru. By leaving my house at the time I do I ride past the Topless Carousel (aka The Big Top apparently) just about the time they are closing. I typically see about 20-30 men standing around in the parking lot, cars running (backed into their parking spots of course) with the systems kicking, and if I'm lucky someone will yell something at me snapping me out of my trance-like state. I am awake and riding my bike while people are still up drinking and staring at women they have absolutely no chance with. It cracks me up. I feel like I should know the security guards that I wave to. I'm sure I'm the only person dumb enough to be riding their bike that early on a Saturday morning.
About a mile later I pass by a McDonalds. I find this even more amusing. Each week the line for the drive thru is wrapped completely around the building. How many people really want to eat McDonalds at this time of the night (or morning as I call it)? You wonder why there is a fattening of America. While I am thinking about it- I wonder if they are serving lunch\dinner at this time of night or do they switch over to breakfast at a certain time? I could go for some pancakes if they would serve them to a skinny kid on a bike.
What does all this have to do with my training you ask? Well, these are the people who are out on the road driving towards me. I'm sure we would all agree that they are drunk at this point and most of them distracted with shoving greasy fast food into their faces. If there ever is a time that I am terrified and feel completely vulnerable...it is at this time. My bike is lit up like a Christmas tree but that can only do so much. I hope so hard that people see me. Each car that passes me without knocking me down or running me over is a small personal victory. Its like I am gambling and sometimes I wonder when my luck will run out. Each week as the training gets longer and I have to get out on the road a little earlier I wonder if I'll make it home safely at the end of the day. When I committed myself to this race I never thought I'd be waking up this early to ride my bike.
I'm tired, I'm scared and am still wondering if I have what it takes to complete this race. With 13 weeks until race day I question if I have what it takes both physically and mentally to cross the finish line before the 36 hour cutoff time. I know all about the highs and lows that come with endurance racing and am putting in my time with regards to training but I am not sure if it will be enough. The mind is a powerful thing and I hope, when necessary, I can muster the strength to control it and convince my body to continue to move forward. Only time will tell...
If you know me then you have more than likely met my dog Luna. She is my pride and joy. She is my world and one of my most favorite things. I would not be able to take care of her while training the way I do without the help of Craig, Christy and Susan from Carolina Doggie Playland (http://carolinadoggieplayland.com/). They have been so helpful and have helped to set my mind at ease when I am out all day on the weekends to train. I couldn't even come close to thanking them enough for all of their help. Not only do they support me in what I have set out to do but they love my dog and take such good care of her. If you have a pet then you know how important this is. Thank you Craig, Christy and Susan (and all the other staff of course!) for being such amazing people and taking such good care of all the dogs that come your way. Luna says, "Woof!"
For the past five weeks my alarm has been set for 2:47am on Saturday morning. My goal has been to get out on the bike by 3:45am to start my workout. I have done this because I think it is good training considering my race will take more than 24 hours to complete and because for me to get in the mileage that Peter wants me to do I need to start that early. The hardest thing about getting up this early is trying to eat breakfast at 3:00am. Drinking coffee at this time is easy but forcing yourself to eat a bagel, peanut butter, a banana and yogurt that early is quite a task. It honestly hasn't gotten any easier over the past few weeks. My stomach just isn't ready to eat that early but I know I have to. However, I have honed my routine and can get out the door a little earlier each week! By the time the race comes I expect to be out the door riding before 3:00am.
So you may be asking yourself where do strip clubs and McDonalds come into play? I assure you that strip clubs are not a part of training nor is McDonalds part of my diet! When I leave my apartment to ride my bike at 3:45ish in the morning the only people I see are those at a nearby strip club and those waiting in line at a McDonalds drive thru. By leaving my house at the time I do I ride past the Topless Carousel (aka The Big Top apparently) just about the time they are closing. I typically see about 20-30 men standing around in the parking lot, cars running (backed into their parking spots of course) with the systems kicking, and if I'm lucky someone will yell something at me snapping me out of my trance-like state. I am awake and riding my bike while people are still up drinking and staring at women they have absolutely no chance with. It cracks me up. I feel like I should know the security guards that I wave to. I'm sure I'm the only person dumb enough to be riding their bike that early on a Saturday morning.
About a mile later I pass by a McDonalds. I find this even more amusing. Each week the line for the drive thru is wrapped completely around the building. How many people really want to eat McDonalds at this time of the night (or morning as I call it)? You wonder why there is a fattening of America. While I am thinking about it- I wonder if they are serving lunch\dinner at this time of night or do they switch over to breakfast at a certain time? I could go for some pancakes if they would serve them to a skinny kid on a bike.
What does all this have to do with my training you ask? Well, these are the people who are out on the road driving towards me. I'm sure we would all agree that they are drunk at this point and most of them distracted with shoving greasy fast food into their faces. If there ever is a time that I am terrified and feel completely vulnerable...it is at this time. My bike is lit up like a Christmas tree but that can only do so much. I hope so hard that people see me. Each car that passes me without knocking me down or running me over is a small personal victory. Its like I am gambling and sometimes I wonder when my luck will run out. Each week as the training gets longer and I have to get out on the road a little earlier I wonder if I'll make it home safely at the end of the day. When I committed myself to this race I never thought I'd be waking up this early to ride my bike.
I'm tired, I'm scared and am still wondering if I have what it takes to complete this race. With 13 weeks until race day I question if I have what it takes both physically and mentally to cross the finish line before the 36 hour cutoff time. I know all about the highs and lows that come with endurance racing and am putting in my time with regards to training but I am not sure if it will be enough. The mind is a powerful thing and I hope, when necessary, I can muster the strength to control it and convince my body to continue to move forward. Only time will tell...
If you know me then you have more than likely met my dog Luna. She is my pride and joy. She is my world and one of my most favorite things. I would not be able to take care of her while training the way I do without the help of Craig, Christy and Susan from Carolina Doggie Playland (http://carolinadoggieplayland.com/). They have been so helpful and have helped to set my mind at ease when I am out all day on the weekends to train. I couldn't even come close to thanking them enough for all of their help. Not only do they support me in what I have set out to do but they love my dog and take such good care of her. If you have a pet then you know how important this is. Thank you Craig, Christy and Susan (and all the other staff of course!) for being such amazing people and taking such good care of all the dogs that come your way. Luna says, "Woof!"
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
The more I train the slower I become
That statement needs some explanation but unfortunately it is the truth. The more I train for this race the slower I am becoming. As I sit here mid-week thinking ahead to my workouts this weekend I can't help but get frustrated with my speed heading in the opposite direction. This morning was my long run and it was the slowest long run I have done in quite some time. As I watched the miles splits get a little slower with each passing mile and each passing hour I kept getting more and more worked up. By the time the run was over I was in a pretty bad mood and if I ran another mile it would be to soon. That is part of training I suppose. You have highs and lows - good workouts and bad workouts.
Typically, when you train and recover properly improvements are made and you get stronger and faster. Ahh...the big difference between the previous sentence and my training is the word "recovery". Unfortunately for me that word is not part of my training plan. I knew that going into this but it is still frustrating to be moving in the opposite direction. With my training there is a little recovery between workouts but I pretty much train tired and fatigued all the time. I realize the distances I am training for do not allow time for recovery (there simply isn't enough time in a week) and I know that during the race in October there will be no racing- it will purely be a test of my physical and mental endurance. The only speed necessary will be to get from the start line to the finish line in less than 36 hours.
All of this I know but I still get frustrated. There I said it one last time. I feel a little better now. I don't think that being frustrated is a bad thing though. It helps motivate me to do the next workout to the best of my ability and push through. Peter has a plan for me and it is with his experience I will be ready come race day.
Though my speed is not increasing my endurance certainly is heading in the right direction. I am now starting to cover distances I never considered before. Each week is a new milestone, a new personal best. If I wasn't so tired all the time I'd probably be more excited about that fact. A few weeks ago I emailed Peter and told him that I thought I should take it easy as I felt like I hadn't recovered from the American Triple T. He pretty much told me to harden up and that my body will get use to being exhausted. As much as I hate to admit it he is 100% right. I constantly feel fatigued but I keep moving forward. I am always tired but each day I seem a little less tired. I may not be as fast as I would like but speed isn't my goal. Covering 281.2 miles in less than a day and a half is my goal! Whatever it takes to get me to complete this goal is what I will do. Fatigued or not! For the time being I will have to accept the fact, and happily at that, that the more I train the slower I will become.
One last thought- I would not be where I am now without the help, guidance, advice, and most importantly friendship of Bob Nixon and Melissa Bell. In the two years I have been involved in this multi-sport lifestyle Bob and Melissa have been there every step of the way for me. I will never be able to thank them enough for all they have done for me. They truly are some of the nicest and most caring people I have ever met. I am honored to be able to call them friends. They both mean the world to me. Thank you Bob and Melissa for being who you are, everything you have done, and for getting me to where I am today. (I think being fatigued also makes me emotional!)
Typically, when you train and recover properly improvements are made and you get stronger and faster. Ahh...the big difference between the previous sentence and my training is the word "recovery". Unfortunately for me that word is not part of my training plan. I knew that going into this but it is still frustrating to be moving in the opposite direction. With my training there is a little recovery between workouts but I pretty much train tired and fatigued all the time. I realize the distances I am training for do not allow time for recovery (there simply isn't enough time in a week) and I know that during the race in October there will be no racing- it will purely be a test of my physical and mental endurance. The only speed necessary will be to get from the start line to the finish line in less than 36 hours.
All of this I know but I still get frustrated. There I said it one last time. I feel a little better now. I don't think that being frustrated is a bad thing though. It helps motivate me to do the next workout to the best of my ability and push through. Peter has a plan for me and it is with his experience I will be ready come race day.
Though my speed is not increasing my endurance certainly is heading in the right direction. I am now starting to cover distances I never considered before. Each week is a new milestone, a new personal best. If I wasn't so tired all the time I'd probably be more excited about that fact. A few weeks ago I emailed Peter and told him that I thought I should take it easy as I felt like I hadn't recovered from the American Triple T. He pretty much told me to harden up and that my body will get use to being exhausted. As much as I hate to admit it he is 100% right. I constantly feel fatigued but I keep moving forward. I am always tired but each day I seem a little less tired. I may not be as fast as I would like but speed isn't my goal. Covering 281.2 miles in less than a day and a half is my goal! Whatever it takes to get me to complete this goal is what I will do. Fatigued or not! For the time being I will have to accept the fact, and happily at that, that the more I train the slower I will become.
One last thought- I would not be where I am now without the help, guidance, advice, and most importantly friendship of Bob Nixon and Melissa Bell. In the two years I have been involved in this multi-sport lifestyle Bob and Melissa have been there every step of the way for me. I will never be able to thank them enough for all they have done for me. They truly are some of the nicest and most caring people I have ever met. I am honored to be able to call them friends. They both mean the world to me. Thank you Bob and Melissa for being who you are, everything you have done, and for getting me to where I am today. (I think being fatigued also makes me emotional!)
Monday, July 6, 2009
"Thank You!"
Those two words I say a good bit these days but feel I still need to say them more often and to more people. There are so many people in my life that I need to do a better job of thanking on a more regular basis. I am fortunate to have so many people willing to help me with my journey and I wanted to take some additional time to thank them.
In the past few years there is no way I would have been able to accomplish what I have without the help of others. Though triathlon is an individual sport, as opposed to a team sport, the backbone of every triathlete is their support system. Backbone might even be to small of a word- perhaps I should say that the support system is the foundation of every triathlete. I have a great foundation from which to build on top of. I have help from so many different angles. There are to many people to thank in one blog post so I want to thank someone each time I post a blog...
It is Monday morning and I just woke up from almost a 10 hour night's sleep. My body is shot. I think I could lay in bed all day and be content. That can't happen however as I have to go for a quick recovery run, then grocery shop, then go to work until 8pm. Sometimes I dream of the weeks after my race when I don't have anything to do. This past weekend was by far my biggest volume training weekend ever. The workout on Saturday alone was almost 9.5 hours with Sunday's not to far behind. I literally spent most of my waking hours this weekend on my bicycle. Like I've said before, each day I realize a little more what it is going to take to get from the start line to the finish line in October. I knew it would be tough but tough is an understatement at this point. On Sunday as I was riding there were several times that I wanted to burst into tears, jump off my bike and stop. I'm not trying to be dramatic here- I really just wanted to cry. It was during these moments of near crying that made me realize how lucky I am to have such amazing people in my life that need to be thanked more often.
The bottom, and most important, building block of my foundation is my support crew. My support crew needs to be thanked first. They are the ones who have helped me through these long days and without them at my races I would not have been able to accomplish what I had set out to do. Initially my support crew was my dad, mom and sister (Tracy). For two years they had flown all over the country to support me at my ironman races. Last fall Tracy and my cousin Becky were my support crew for my ultra marathon. Looking ahead to October my support crew again will be some combination of my family. I could not be happier.
The double ironman is an unsupported race. This means that you have to bring your own support crew and your own nutrition. There are no aid stations other then your table and tent where your support crew has set up. Since this race will be run non-stop throughout the day and night my support crew won't be sleeping either. They will be right there with me every step of the way. THANK YOU! This will be no small task I assure you. They are going to be seeing a side of me that nobody else has, myself included. I don't know what my body is going to do. I don't know how I am going to race throughout the night without sleeping. I do know however that with their help and support I will make it to the finish line. There will be times I want to quit. There will be times of tears. It will be these people who keep me focused on what I am out there to do. THANK YOU!
I am out the door to train now...THANK YOU all for your continued support and encouragement.
In the past few years there is no way I would have been able to accomplish what I have without the help of others. Though triathlon is an individual sport, as opposed to a team sport, the backbone of every triathlete is their support system. Backbone might even be to small of a word- perhaps I should say that the support system is the foundation of every triathlete. I have a great foundation from which to build on top of. I have help from so many different angles. There are to many people to thank in one blog post so I want to thank someone each time I post a blog...
It is Monday morning and I just woke up from almost a 10 hour night's sleep. My body is shot. I think I could lay in bed all day and be content. That can't happen however as I have to go for a quick recovery run, then grocery shop, then go to work until 8pm. Sometimes I dream of the weeks after my race when I don't have anything to do. This past weekend was by far my biggest volume training weekend ever. The workout on Saturday alone was almost 9.5 hours with Sunday's not to far behind. I literally spent most of my waking hours this weekend on my bicycle. Like I've said before, each day I realize a little more what it is going to take to get from the start line to the finish line in October. I knew it would be tough but tough is an understatement at this point. On Sunday as I was riding there were several times that I wanted to burst into tears, jump off my bike and stop. I'm not trying to be dramatic here- I really just wanted to cry. It was during these moments of near crying that made me realize how lucky I am to have such amazing people in my life that need to be thanked more often.
The bottom, and most important, building block of my foundation is my support crew. My support crew needs to be thanked first. They are the ones who have helped me through these long days and without them at my races I would not have been able to accomplish what I had set out to do. Initially my support crew was my dad, mom and sister (Tracy). For two years they had flown all over the country to support me at my ironman races. Last fall Tracy and my cousin Becky were my support crew for my ultra marathon. Looking ahead to October my support crew again will be some combination of my family. I could not be happier.
The double ironman is an unsupported race. This means that you have to bring your own support crew and your own nutrition. There are no aid stations other then your table and tent where your support crew has set up. Since this race will be run non-stop throughout the day and night my support crew won't be sleeping either. They will be right there with me every step of the way. THANK YOU! This will be no small task I assure you. They are going to be seeing a side of me that nobody else has, myself included. I don't know what my body is going to do. I don't know how I am going to race throughout the night without sleeping. I do know however that with their help and support I will make it to the finish line. There will be times I want to quit. There will be times of tears. It will be these people who keep me focused on what I am out there to do. THANK YOU!
I am out the door to train now...THANK YOU all for your continued support and encouragement.
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