T - 10 weeks Ironman Chatty

Now is the time my heart starts to skip a beat when I look at how many weeks it is until the big day! Even when I'm running long distance when I get to that 10, 9, 8, countdown till I'm done, I begin to get excited. :>)  

I ain't gonna lie and say it's all excitement... it's also a little worry... a little bit scared.  However, each day I'm praying for God to give me health, strength and endurance to finish this task.  That's all I can do.  I must leave it all at his feet and trust him whatever the outcome will be.  It's hard.  Some days I'll start visualizing the finish line and start thinking about how I'm gonna feel when I cross that finish line.  I tell myself I'm gonna feel like superwoman.  I'm gonna feel amazing.  And then it hits me that I'm probably going to feel so tired.... so over it... so about to collapse after swimming 2.4 miles, biking 116 miles, and running 26.2 miles!  AND... then I have to almost slap myself out of it and tell myself .... ONE DAY AT A TIME!! Don't worry about the future.  Just think about today! 

Sometimes I wonder if Ironman races are made up of people mostly like me.  I read so many stories of people with hardships that complete an ironman.  I wasn't an athlete when growing up.  I didn't play softball or basketball like many of my girlfriends.  I didn't even start running until I was almost 40 years old.  So it gives me hope when I read all these stories about people with many hardships completing the ironman race.  I feel I can do this if I can just get to race day this time.  :>)  I really think God knew that last year with the swim being canceled that I would not have been satisfied or felt like a real ironman so he saved me from that race till this year.  

So how is the training going?  Well last week I had 3,400 yards to swim.  I don't know if it was due to the fact that I didn't swim the week I was on vacation or just the long distance, but I felt like my arms were so heavy.  I questioned myself the whole time..... asking things like... Are you sure you can do this??  I just wanted to kick myself.  Then Saturday rolled around and I had a 40 mile bike.  I was excited it was a short one... Yep.... 40 to me at this point is short.. hee hee    But boy I could tell I had not rode outside on hills in 2 weeks!  They kicked my butt.  I still had a good bike time averaging 17.7 mph, but my legs were over the hills. :>)  

Then today, Tuesday, I had 2,500 yards to swim and felt great!  What a change.  So yes, I have to remind myself too that every workout is not great... we ALL have good and bad workouts.  But a bad workout is better than no workout any day!

This week is a long weekend.  I have 17 miles to run and a 70 mile bike on tap for the weekend.  The 17 mile run is going to be interesting if we don't get a break in this heat and humidity! 

So for last week - week 11 this is a snapshot of my week:
Monday - 2,200 yard swim
Tuesday - 1 1/2 hour bike
Wednesday - 45 min run
Thursday - 3,400 yard swim
Friday - Rest
Saturday - 40 mile bike, 2 mile run
Sunday - 8 mile run

So for this week-- week 10 this is a snapshot of my week:
Monday - Rest Day
Tuesday - 2,500 yard swim - 1 hour bike
Wednesday - 5 mile run
Thursday - 2,400 yard swim, 35 min run
Friday - Rest
Saturday - 17 mile run
Sunday - 70 mile bike

It's time to really store up that hay in my barn!  Time to get those positive thoughts flowing in my head.  Time to believe! Time to have faith! Keep moving forward. :>)