The count down
has officially turned from weeks to days.
I am less than a month away. In fact, Race Day was a month ago Saturday!
It’s hard to believe. I’ve spent the last 15 weeks training with laser focus
for ONE race. Granted it is THE race of any triathlete’s career but
nevertheless the training is starting to take its toll. The last 15 weeks
have been more organized, planned, data dependent than any other race season I
have trained for. My body is feeling the effect. It’s not sore it’s just tired.
Getting out of bed in the morning is rough. Getting my body over the hump of
working out takes a little bit longer than usual. My workouts are still solid
and I feel ready but I could snap at any second.
It is commonly
seen in athletes that put in A LOT of volume, mental & physical
preparation, and time to emotionally start to fray. I spent some time thinking
back to when this ride to Kona started. It didn’t start in May when I competed
in St. Croix Half Ironman. It started in December of 2013 when I started
training. As I’ve already mentioned it was never my intention to go to St.
Croix to race for a Kona slot. My plan was to race hard, enjoy the time away,
and figure out what I’d do next when I got back. Fate took care of what would
come next setting me on a 20 week training plan to get me ready for Kona.
With a collective
39 weeks (if I’ve done my math correctly) of training under my belt I can
honestly say I haven’t trained this long or this hard EVER. In fact I haven’t
ridden my bike this far into September because of my coaching responsibilities.
When I say that I’m emotionally tired I hope that whoever is reading this can
wrap their head around what I’ve done and how taxing it is to stay on point
this long.
My experience
isn’t any different than most putting in the time and volume for an Ironman.
There is always a point of breaking and typically it’s emotional. This week was
my breaking point. I was riding a high after the 70.3 Worlds but as usual I
didn’t take into account just how tired I would be after being away for 5 days,
driving 10 hours home, and jumping back into training after only an extra day
of rest. I found myself feeling more anxious and irritable than usual. I spent
the last two days screaming at idiot drivers who were too busy smoking their
cigarette butts or texting to notice I have running or riding on their side of
the road. I’m not kidding, I was screaming and waving my hands. If idiot
drivers weren’t irking me it was the wind, or the holes & cracks in the
road, or the fact my torpedo bottle bounced out of it’s cage twice on my long
training ride.
I’ve had more
“moments” that are out of character that I can only chalk up to the wear and
tear of training. I’m close. So close, that I ship my bike to Kona this coming
Saturday. I only have to keep myself going only a few more weeks before the
taper begins and I toe the line at the Ironman World Championships. My good
friend Steve Roulier, 2013 Ironman World Championship Finisher, gave me some
advice after we finished our ride on Sunday. “Reflect back on how far you have
come and realize that you’re ready. You’re on the top of the world just waiting
to compete on the world’s Ironman stage. Enjoy it! Relax when you can and
visualize YOUR race.”
I’m not one to
sit still long enough to visualize…or relax but I can reflect back on how far
I’ve come since I started training in December. I have enjoyed the journey so
far, even with my few temper tantrums and mental moments. I will continue to
enjoy the time I have left and savor each moment. Who knows if it will ever happen again!
SK
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