Training for any race can be emotional. I have trained for countless races and I’ve hit some rough patches here and there. I’m emotional, what can I say? So, I suppose I should have realized that in training for an ironman, which is eleven thousand more miles than anything else I’ve ever trained for, I’d be kind of a mess.
I always put pressure on myself to perform at certain paces or speeds during workouts and when I can’t hit those paces I get pretty upset. I’m learning to let that go, now more than ever. I’ve had some low days where I don’t want to get up and I am so tired I forget to bring a towel to the pool. I have also suffered through a long runs that have left me miserable and whiny. And I have ridden my bike into the wind while cursing like a merchant marine.
But.
I am out there. I am running. I am swimming. I am biking. I am still putting in the mileage and doing work. I may not be the Flash, but that’s the thing about ironman training, it’s really hard. It’s harder than I think I realized and I’m really understanding what my friends who paved this path before me went through. It’s hard to empathize until you are there. I am finally feeling like I’m more in a groove and I’m enjoying seeing just how far I can push myself. I’m also still wrapping my brain around 2.4, 112, and 26.2. How will I do that?
I work full time. I am a girlfriend, a sister, a daughter, and a friend. And I forget to give myself credit for trying to do all of this and be all of this when I am also working out 10 to 14 hours per week. I place humility very high on things I respect in others, but I know now that a good self congratulatory pat on the back is needed on those days when it’s a real effort to get in a post work training session.
The other thing is that I’ve been training with blinders on and just going day by day without thinking about the end goal. Meghan, reminded me of this today when she talked about how amazing it will be to see our friends and family along the course. She is SO right. The end goal is that finish line. When I hear my name called, added by YOU ARE AN IRONMAN, all the work will be more than worth it.
You are doing great and training for such a HUGE thing. I can't imagine. Keep your eye on the prize and know that eventually this hard training will be over and YOU WILL BE AN IRONMAN! I think you are a rockstar.
Definitely give yourself a huge pat. You are an amazing athlete and having seen you do great things before i.e. Augusta, I know you will be an Iron(wo)man very soon! 🙂
You are nothing short of inspiring, amazing and sassy. Training for an ironman is huge…but when you cross that finish line… well… you're going to remember every single training move you made and how it all led you to greatness. HUGS!
It will definitely be worth it. You are nothing short of amazing and I give you mad props for taking on the Ironman challenge. You are going to crush it and we will all be cheering for you.
I love that you wrote this post and I'm even happier that you realize how awesome you are. I can't even imagine how you are training for this and staying sane right now. Just keep waking up and choosing to do the best you can. Can't wait to give you a hug when you cross the finish and become and Ironman. You are a rock star! xoxoxo
I can't wait hear those words for you Boo! Eye on the prize!
Beth – you are awesome! Even signing up for Ironman takes courage – knowing a ton of hard training will be required, not knowing if you will succeed, testing your limits. But you have done your training, you've proven your ability, you will succeed. And you will be an inspiration to all those who dream of Ironman and see you cross the finish line.
I can't wish you luck, because you won't need luck, but I wish you a great race – it will be full of difficulties, but you will master them!
Can't wait to read of your success!
Rick Stiles
Yes. Yes. Yes. This is SPOT on.
You are doing a kick a$$ job of getting all the work in- It will 1000% be worth it when you cross that line.
I always get really bothered when I have a workout that feels harder than it should, I don't hit the paces I want, or I feel sluggish, but I try to reframe it and think in terms of the mental toughness I build by working through that and that I know I'll have really stellar runs to make up for it! I can't imagine training for an Ironman and I think it's awesome that you are doing it! The training definitely won't be easy, but it will all be worth it!
Yep! You get it now. I mean, you really get the mental approach that we all have to take to get into this crazy mess. To me, that's very cool. And yes you'll be amazed at just how worth it the whole thing is. I can't wait!
Word.
I am only training for a 70.3 and it's ridiculous. I love getting perspective from my Fella though. It's easy to forget that this isn't normal and that it's a truly awesome thing to train for something big. Kudos to you 🙂
doing an Ironman isn't about running down the chute to "You are an Ironman!" although its nice to hear. Its about the journey and over coming the challenges.
Its about saying no to your friends on Friday night because you have a 6 hour bike the next morning.
Its about going for a run at 5 am because its already 90 degrees.
Its about commitment and dedication to your goal
A lot of it is mental. Finishing an Ironman isn't "that" hard, if you've done your "homework" (racing an Ironman is a different story). You'll do fine. You will do this
Good luck with your training! It is hard to keep a balance during IM training, and maybe it's not about balance but about choices. I know that it helped me a lot to know, when I missed a workout, that as long as I got in 90% of my workouts and as long as they were GOOD workouts, then I was still on solid ground.
Also, I reminded myself that triathlon was not my entire life but just a part of it – a part that was very important to me in some ways, but it could not replace relationships, work and other aspects of my life. As you said, you have a lot going on, so give yourself credit for the work that you are doing.