* This is my first blog rambling, In the future I plan to post more frequently and have less content. My goal for this blog is to have a place to explore and record the transitions that life entails. This is especially relevant to my transformation as a girl with a goal to complete a sprint triathlon (4 short years ago) to training for my 30th year adventure Ironman Chattanooga.
I started this year actually much earlier in a bar in Chattanooga, after completing a volunteer shift with Will. We sat and discussed if each of us really was committed to register for and complete the Ironman Chattanooga event in 2015.
If I pushed the race back I wouldn't be 30 and Will was pretty committed to this race during the following race year of 2015. I was less so, thinking that Ironman Texas maybe a good substitute. After all, I'd still technically 30 (it occurs in May) but USA Triathlon would say otherwise. It's in May, meaning I wouldn't have the heat to suffer through, but I'd also have the unknown occasional southern snow threat limiting my outdoor training through the winter. Will urged me, that I could do this and should stick to the plan we had talked about early on in our relationship. Let's train for the Ironman. We'll train some together and some separately, hold each other accountable, and run our own races on the day in September. We will be together in celebrating accomplishments and pushing each other through tough times, workouts, and any trials along the way. I also thought to myself, I'm not really so busy; I work in a profession I love that can take alot out of me and training helps me energize myself (especially in Winter months, another reason to train in the Spring), I don't have responsibilities that many people in the late 20's & early 30's have (specifically a family with children), and why not. I should hesitate, I should enter this with great excitement and exuberance. But 17 hours, really?!? What if I am up 17hours racing, pushing my body to limits I didn't know existed?
So after our shift and a few beers, I became more committed. That day I woke up after individuals started in the water, slurped coffee from Waffle House, worked a few hour shift in the second transition, explored Chattanooga, and sat with new friends around a campfire discussing how I would become an Ironman. I drifted to sleep well before 10pm, next year I could still be on course to cross a finish line and hear the words "You are and Ironman". I woke up that night in a tent in Chattanooga, I looked at my watch it was 11:45pm. People were still out on course pushing their bodies to the finish line. We woke up early, packed our camp, and proceeded to "Ironman Village" (where the activities of transition and finish occur) - only hours after the last finishers crossed the line of Ironman Chattanooga 2014. It felt electric and I was nervous just hoping to get a spot. We did and that was that. Registered for the race
Since the registration, I completed my second full marathon. A weekend home in Minneapolis & St. Paul in the beginning of October, which I improved my time by almost 45minutes. I also ran a half marathon on a fabulous girls weekend to Savannah, GA. Although I was feeling the effects of a bad lunch from the day previous I was happy to finish the race and be surrounded by amazing friends!
I took a break from heavy activity over the holidays, still running occasionally (when I felt like it) & going to an occasional spin class with friends. I hadn't been in a pool since July - before my Vineman (70.3) adventure in Sonoma County. It felt freeing to stay out of the water, away from laps, and focus on other things and be more free with my time.
I gave myself a break that I needed. I decided to really start back in on January 1, 2015 with all the New Years Resolutioners - a bad time for a generally committed gym goer to refocus. But it made sense with the training schedule for Ironman Chattanooga set to begin in March. In November, I decided to set training out right by registering for and training with a running group for the Country Music Half Marathon, a race I completed last year and had a blast running (my first stand alone, half marathon, completed in 2:01:and change). I was pleased. This year I decided to #runforareason, to raise money and awareness of St. Jude. I opted to set a fundraising goal of $500.
I believe in the causes that St Jude supports; medical treatment for childhood disease without expense to families letting them focus on their child's health versus fear of cost, curing childhood cancer, and increase 5 years survival rates.
Please consider a donation in any amount.
The Beginning of January;
My first training run felt almost miserable - it was raining, I had new shoes that rubbed my arch in a way that made a blister, and I felt defeated that 4 miles felt so bad. But rationalized this with those factors in my, this will be worth it I can do it.
My spins have been going really well, I enjoy especially spending Monday evenings at the YMCA in Green Hills (a neighborhood in Nashville). There's an especially exuberant instructor named Marcus, Will and another friend joins me and life is good. The long ride is generally followed by a delicious smoothie.
My first swim occurred early in January and I thought throughout the 25minutes of the dread that I use to feel when I was a lifeguard and had to swim 500yds annually. I swam further, probably on this swim date but it was like I had not swam since July (truth). I felt unnatural in the water, not a problem normally. My kick was off and my shoulders hurt for days (literally).
More recently in the pool I feel less like a fish that forgot how to swim and I have come to dread my friends the New Years Resolution crowd that fill my pool (it is mine in my head). They cause such current feigning exercise (I know I'm being judgmental) that once on while flip-turning was moved across the lane and smacked my lane mate. I was mortified stood and apologized for the occurrence (eek!). So I re-evaluate, maybe their exercise is true with a current like that. I think to myself it's good prep for an open water swim in a river, and after an hour climb out of the pool feeling more accomplished then ever.
This is going to be a long journey for a 17 hour race.
