Living Life to the Fullest

I haven’t written a blog post since my uncle suddenly passed away in early February.  He was only 50 years old and he was in good health.  He was an avid outdoorsman, a businessman, and pillar of the community.  In fact, he is the person who introduced me to cycling.  He treated me like a daughter and I’m very close to my aunt and cousins.  Although I’m back at work and busy training, mentally I just haven’t been able to gather and organize my thoughts into a good post.  So why not start with this post?

My uncle was always up for an adventure.  He traveled the country with his family in a motorhome and on his Harley Davidson.  He has hunted many species in Africa.  I mean he had a guide and they tracked the animals down on foot.  He’s hunted bear in Canada and fished in Mexico.  My uncle lived life to the fullest.

I’m going to try to follow his example and live my life to the fullest.  I’m going to make the most out of every opportunity! 

 

 

This is picture of myself at the Freeze you Fanny bike ride.  It was held the weekend after my uncle passed away.  I rode 50 miles to honor and celebrate his life!  It was a beautiful day!

The Benefits of a Training Log

In addition to writing all my workouts down I log them into Training Peaks.  Training Peaks is a free online program where you can register and log everything.  I love keeping track of my mileage.  It helps keep me motivated.  I’ve tracked my mileage since 2010.

I can also go back and see how my current training compares to what I was doing last year.  For example, I can compare my average run pace and my average bike power from year to year.  When I’m sore, tired, and discouraged I can look back and see that I’m faster and stronger.  This means my hard work is paying off!

My First Month of Ironman Training

My IM goals for this year are:  Train harder and eat better (eat more).

I’m definitely training harder, especially on the bike and swim.  I have been looking back at my training log from last year and my average power on the bike has increased.  I’m also swimming longer and I feel more comfortable in the water. This year I have also continued strength training four days a week.

I started logging my food intake and cardio exercise in My Fitness Pal because I really had no clue how much I should eat.  Right now, on the days I train I usually need 2500-3300 calories per day.  To me, that’s a lot of food especially when I eat mostly healthy foods.  So, I have really increased my caloric intake.

I believe that the increase in my caloric intake has helped me stay strong so that I can train harder.  So far, training and eating has been good!

Ironman Recognition – Rock Star Moment

When I tell people that I’ve completed an Ironman (which I never do unless it comes up in conversation) they kinda give a funny look and say, “What’s that?”  Then, once I explain what it is, they get a look of horror on their face and ask, “Are you crazy?”

At work I wear an IM lanyard with my keys and ID badge around my neck.  I had a meeting and the person I was meeting with instantly asked, “You did an Ironman?”  My chest instantly puffed out and I sat up a little taller and replied, “Yes I completed IMTX last year and I’m training for IMTX this year!”  She replied, “Wow!  My husband will be so excited to know that I’ve talked to a real Ironman!”  Of course, I tried to be humble and downplay the fact that I was indeed an Ironman but inside I was stoked!!! 

Come to find out, her husband is a triathlete.  We continued to talk about triathlons in general for a few more minutes.  The whole conversation lasted about 2-3 minutes but it has had lasting effects.  In my day-to-day activities, especially at work, I don’t have time to think about training and I forget that I’m an Ironman.  When she brought it up out of the blue I felt like a rock star!  It totally made my day!

My Spectating Experience

Last week I worked very hard to cram all my workouts in so that I could take a trip to New Orleans with my best friend to watch my friend/runner complete his first marathon.  This was my second time being a spectator.  I was so excited and I can’t believe that I don’t spectate more.  I always decide to race too, which seems like I’m not being supportive.  But my thoughts are, why waste a trip and not get in a workout?  I hope all my friends and family understand.

I got up early Saturday morning to run before we headed to New Orleans.  I was very excited.  The day before, I was OK with not running the race.  I was happy that I could eat and drink whatever I wanted.  I also didn’t have to worry about staying off my feet and resting (well I did kinda have to worry, but not that much J)  Heck, I was even happy the morning of the race.  I didn’t have to wake up early and eat breakfast.  It was cold and windy, I was especially happy that I was all bundled up in my warm clothes.  I was even OK when the race started; I got to go to Starbucks! 

But as the race progressed and we watched and cheered the runners I started to get a little jealous.  Then, when we went to the finish line I was downright envious.  I wanted that joy of running down the finishing shoot and crossing the finish line.  Then, I saw the runners with their finisher jackets.  They said, “Rock N’ Roll Marathon Finisher” on the back.  This nearly pushed me over the edge!  I couldn’t even think about it (happy thoughts, happy thoughts, happy thoughts).  I WANTED one of those jackets and I wished I would have run the marathon!  Crazy, right?

I’m so excited for my friend, he ran an awesome race.  But I’ve learned that spectating is an emotional roller coaster.  I now have a greater appreciation for my friends and family who come to races to support me. 

Ask and You Shall Receive

When I registered for IMTX 2015 the pain of the bike portion of IMTX 2014 was still fresh on my mind.  I told my coach that I really wanted to focus on the bike this year.  My race plan is to:  Survive the swim, have a solid bike ride, and run the run (well most of it anyway).  Well, that’s exactly what I’m getting, 4 bike workouts a week, 2 run workouts, and 1-2 swim workouts.  My coach told me that I should be good friends with my bike by the time IMTX rolls around.  What can I say? I asked for it!

Of course, it’s hard work.  But all I have to do is remember the way I felt at mile 105 (I wanted to die) and the T2 tent (at that point, death really seemed like the best option).  For more details see me IMTX 2014 race report.  I NEVER want to feel like that again.  So the only way to get better is to practice harder.  Now that I know what’s in store for me the hard workouts don’t seem too bad. 

The lesson: Push yourself hard and explore your limits.  Then use that knowledge and those emotions to push yourself even harder.  Before you know it you will be accomplishing your goals!

For me, IMTX 2014 pushed me to my limit.  I know what I have to work on.  Every time I get tired or discouraged I go back to how I felt during the race.  I survived it and I can survive these workouts. 

Girls Night Out

Ironman training and general tri training has begun for our tri club (Nacogdoches Endurance Training).  Swim practice is scheduled for Monday evenings.  I’m loving seeing my team mates.  I mean really really really LOVE seeing everybody!  Since I live in a rural area and have a packed schedule it’s easier for me to work out on my own.  But swim practice has become a time I get to work out and socialize with other triathletes.  Between sets we visit, compare workouts/techniques, ask questions, and grumble about our training plans and workouts for the week.  For me, swim night is my “girls night out!”  All we need are cocktails (chocolate milk) to make it complete!