How is my Half Ironman Training going people ask.
I quit!
Every week I reach some point in my training schedule ,
usually a swim day, when I say
I QUIT!
When I jumped into this sport last year, I did just that, I
jumped in. I fell in love in with it,
but I jumped in with my eyes closed. I
did not know enough to have a fear of open water swimming, I did not know
enough to know that the swim in 99% technique and you better nail that
technique to have enough energy to finish strong on the bike and run. I did not know that your legs feel like
rubber when you come off that bike and start running, and I certainly did not
know that I would find the running leg the easiest leg, even with rubber
legs.
In some ways, IGNORANCE IS PURE BLISS. I conquered open water triathlons with zero
fear and knowledge, and finished fine, even podiumed. I
swam three days a week in a pool and one day a week in the lake with little
thought to technique. I ran when I
wanted to run, usually 3-4 days, and a rode at most weeks 2 days never more
than 25-30 miles.
Then I got this bright idea that I want to attempt to conquer
an Ironman the year I turn 45, which is 2015 by the way. To help prep I determined I needed to do a
Half Ironman this year. So here I am
training for the Austin Ironman 70.3 (the 70.3 represents the half the distance
of an Ironman. In the 70.3 you swim 1.2
miles, bike 56 miles, and run 13.2 miles).
The race is in Austin, TX., or otherwise known as Texas Hill
Country. Seriously, can I pick them or
what? Regardless, I jumped in, again,
with little regard to what it would take.
I am in my 12th formal week of a training plan (yup I have quit at least 12 times since I started),
and boy things are getting serious.
First, I eat, breathe, dream, half Ironman training. At least that is what it feels like. If you are considering a long distance
triathlon, you must consider the time it takes to train. These are hours away from your family, and if
your family is not on board with this, then it is just not worth it. In all honesty, even when they are on board,
there are some days it just does not seem worth it, and there are some days
they will not be on board. There are
days that your training trumps a day at the pool with your kids, or a day at
Six Flags with the family. There are
some days you will be too tired to even consider a 1 hour date night with your
spouse. When you train for something
this big, yes you may realize you will sacrifice a lot, but you need to realize
ahead of time that your family sacrifices a lot too! Oh and your social life, basically your
social life is your training time. If
you train alone, well then you have no social life. My recommendation, find a group or two or
three so you can train with people.
Last year I did all my running and biking alone. I swam with a group. Three hour bike rides all by your self are
extremely lonely and dull. It’s amazing
how fast 40 miles screams by if you are biking with at least one other
person. I actually am affiliated with
two Triathlon Groups right now. I have to be because of my work schedule and
travel schedule, it affords me the maximum amount of group workouts and gives
me plenty of location options. Since I
work in the extreme northwest area of the DFW metro, I need options near where
I work. But I live closer to metro area,
so I need options there too. I’ve met
awesome people in each group and it almost guarantees I do not have to work out
alone, although I do prefer to run alone, it has always been my me time, my
quiet time. But there are benefits to
running with a group at least once a week.
As I mentioned, I am in my 12th week. I follow a
written plan the best I can. I have learned through a coach, my swimming
technique leaves something to be desired I have also have learned there is even
a strategy for the swim part of an open water swim race. I actually know a lot more things than I did
last year during my blissful ignorance stage. I am reserving judgment as to
whether that is beneficial or now. I
suppose I will render my judgment on October 26th at about 3 pm
after I have crossed that Ironman 70.3 finish line.
Swimming
The goal of any triathlon is to have enough energy to get
through the entire race with adequate energy for each leg. It is easy to use up all your energy on the
swim if you are inefficient in the water, and apparently I am completely
inefficient. And my goodness, there is
a whole lot of stuff that has to go on simultaneously to have an efficient
stroke. As an engineer I totally get the dynamics, but it is executing those
dynamics where I struggle (I can only imagine the contractors reading this
thinking, yeah, try executing one of the projects you designed, real life is
different than the bubble you design in).
And I have to be honest, I come away from each swim somewhat disappointed
in myself and very discouraged. But I
will keep on keeping on. There are some
things I am really good at, but there are other things where I am just not so
good. I am currently trying to swim 3-4
days a week (per plan), one technique day where I concentrate on technique and
do drills to help improve technique, one speed day where I do speed drills, one
long distance day where again this affords me an opportunity to focus on my
technique and then I always try to get one open water swim in a lake every
week. If I slack, I always slack on
speed day. But one day someone said to
me:
“You have to go fast
to be fast, you will learn to love that speed work”.
So I am trying to embrace the speed work. If you were not counting, that is about 3-4
hours of swimming each week.
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| Even while out of town, find a pool and swim. In Orlando Mothers Day weekend. |
Biking
Biking is
probably my next weakest discipline. I
am horrible at hills and the wind kicks my butt. And I
am not fast. I can get better at hills
and consequently even get faster by doing hill repeats. Again, like swimming, I
have not been really good or consistent on speed work. But as I read about the science and sport of
triathlon and as I talk to various coaches and more experienced athletes I am
realizing I need to embrace this speed work. “ You have to go fast, to be fast.” The good news is I am fast enough to make the
cut off times in a 70.3 with room to spare, as long as I make the swim cut off
time with time to spare, and I really think that I can, even though I am a slow
swimmer I think I can finish that 1.2 miles in just a little under an
hour. I also think with consistent
riding, I will pick up speed and become faster.
It has gotten easier to accomplish my longer rides now that I have found
some fellow gals who ride about the same pace as me. Biking is a minimum of three days a week . There is always a long ride which are now
running 3 hours or so, but that will increase weekly. There is always a speed day (either a time
trial, or intervals etc.) and another day of just riding for about an
hour. Biking
right now is 5 hours a week, and increasing weekly.
Running
Running is
my best friend and first love. Running
helped take off 120 lbs. Running and I
have a nice easy intimate relationship. I
get running; running gets me. Speed work
on the schedule, no problem, I can tackle that alone and with gusto or with a
group. Out of town, no problem, even if
there is not a trail or track or some running friendly place around I can make my
own. Mall parking lots, movie theater
parking lots, and large apartment complexes make great long loops if you run
the perimeter. Again I am not the fastest
runner, but I am average, even above average.
But running feeds my soul. It has
always been my “me” time, a time that I can 100% clear my head and reflect,
pray, admire the beauty around me or simply think about noting if I choose. I
do not even care or get discouraged if I have a bad running day. No pride thing going on with running at
all. I run 4 days a week. My schedule has a long run day, a speed day,
a plain ole run to run day, then it always has running after some of the bike
workouts, I cannot stress enough the importance of knowing how to overcome the
feeling of those legs after coming off the bike. It is indescribable until you experience it,
and the best way to know how to overcome it is to run after biking. Running is probably 4 hours a week right now,
I actually have to hold myself back from running too much.
 |
| Speed work at the track |
I am trying to trust the training, and know that if I follow
the plan I will finish my Half Ironman in October. I am learning not to beat myself up if I miss
one workout. I am learning how to adapt
when on the road. I have already
mentioned running when traveling is no problem. However, swimming gets interesting when in
small towns. I am learning some of these
small YMCA’s do not have day passes so if you are not a member of a Y somewhere
else and they do not permit day passes, I am kind of out of luck unless there
is a gym with a pool, but we are talking rural Louisiana, those one-light towns
just do not have those sorts of facilities.
Biking can be a challenge too, especially if the hotel gym has nothing
more than a recumbent bike. In larger
towns I can always find a shop to rent a bike from or a local gym with spin
cycles, and my last resort is a regular stationary bike in the gym.
I have quit every week for the past 12 weeks. Something happens and I say, I just cannot do
this, I am quitting, it is too much time, it is too hard, I am too
discouraged. There is always some
reason to justify my quitting. I will
tell my husband I am quitting and he will look at me and smirk and say:
“Why don’t you think
about that first before making a rash decision”?
There have been several times where my training gets in way
of family schedule and I will make a comment about it, and he will say:
“You said it, not
me”.
Of course I latch onto that and say, if this is a problem
for our family, say the word now and I am done.
To which he replies (probably rather wisely):
“Oh no, you are not
using me or the kids as an excuse to quit”.
Love that man.
So about 8 hours after I quit, I am back on the wagon
working out my training schedule for the rest of the week.
I really only have a one goal for my first Ironman 70.3.
Just Finish
I want to finish what I started. I want to cross that finish line. That is it.
I have 8.5 hours to finish, including transitions. I am
starting to get a little more worried about fueling and hydrating myself during
this event. But that is a part of training, I am practicing that as well.
I am reminded of a quote I saw from Muhammad Ali:
“I hated every minute
of training, but I said, 'Don't quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life
as a champion.' ”
I hate almost every minute of training, but, I know all that
will disappear when I cross that finish line.
I have faith with preparation, training and most importantly
the full support of my husband, family, and teammates. I will finish.
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