Skip to main content

Weeks 18-23 - So close and starting to taper

Publishing late since I never did.... pre-race!

Countdown till I leave for Boulder is now single digit days away and the race is less than two weeks away. Isaac stopped making our training boards since he was injured and wasn't able to follow the workouts, so no boards to post for you. The last few weeks have been hard, long, painful, but I hit every workout and am feeling as prepared as I can for Boulder - while still being completely terrified for the long day. I spent this last Sunday tracking my amazing friend Jocelyn who finished her FIRST Ironman in Whistler!! She killed it!! Tracking her throughout the course of the day reminded me truly what a long day it is, which is something I obviously know but had kind of forgotten... no matter how much you prepare, you can't predict everything that is going to happen that day. It has not been super hot here in Seattle this summer, so I have not been able to train in 90+ degrees. I'm hopeful I'll adjust to the hot temps AND altitude the week prior when we're there. I bought a swim skin, so I will not be swimming with a wetsuit. I'm hoping that will make my core temp a little lower on the bike and stay cooler throughout the day. I also hope that will make my swim time faster - I don't really feel the need to wear a wetsuit, I think it negatively affects my form.

This week was the start of our taper, and I'm once again SUPER emotional. I watched the Lake Placid finish line also on Sunday and watched the final two midnight finishers and almost lost it. I haven't broken down into tears yet (I haven't cried in months... actually I don't think I've cried since winter) so it's going to overflow when it comes! (and will likely be at work, sorry to my 5 girls in my office....!)

I keep telling myself that I've put in the hours. I hardly missed any training - really only skipped one run and a few swims the last 6 months. On the other hand, I don't feel over trained. I know that mentally I can do this. I can slay the swim, I can handle the bike leg (I will say I'm not nearly as prepared on hills as I was for Canada last year), and I am hoping for a much faster marathon this year. It's easy to say that, without remembering how it feels 8-9 hours into the race, finally hopping off the bike and facing the enormity of an entire marathon. There aren't words to describe that feeling, of feeling so accomplished from that bike and realizing how much more work there is to be done. The only option is to put one foot in front of the other and keep going.

I'm so excited to head to Boulder. I haven't taken any significant time off since last September, and I'm feeling the need to refresh and refuel. Since I can't really travel during training, this is overdue. 

I'm thankful for a group instagram message Isaac and I got included on that is giving great insight from local Boulder folks racing into the bike course.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

2021/2022 - Pregnancy, baby, return to racing

WOW. So much has changed since I last posted in here. About two months after that last post I found out I was pregnant!  I spent 2021 in various phases of life: First trimester I was super sick and actually unable to even get much movement in! I don't think I've ever worked out that little in my life! Every day just felt like a struggle to survive. Second and third trimesters I was able to swim, bike, run and lift. I was able to run up until a couple days before I gave birth! I mostly ran and lifted - I hated biking pregnant and wanted to limit my covid exposure so I didn't go to the pool super consistently until the very end of my pregnancy. I spent the rest of 2021 fumbling my way through learning how to be a mom and take care of a baby! It was months of living in a haze of no sleep, hormones and tears BUT with all of that in the rear view, it was an amazing time of growth and learning so much. I had 4 IM branded deferred races from 2020 that rolled to 2021, then to 2022....

Week 5: Build

Another build week. Hit all my workouts AND added an extra bike on Wednesday morning. I've been pretty busy this week, lots of nights where I'm not done working out until 8pm or getting home around that time. I have only been getting about 6 hours or so of sleep during the week so my energy wasn't super high. One good thing that starts to happen the better shape I get into as we build in this training plan - no matter how low I think my energy is, as soon as I start working out my body shifts into gear and seems to have limitless potential. I love that. It's just the mental battle to get started despite my muscle fatigue, mental fatigue, soreness... which luckily this week wasn't hard at all. I've hit that point where I don't think about wanting to workout or not - it's not an option, it's just what I do, "sometimes you just do things"... Feels good to be getting back into that mindset instead of dreading going to the pool or getting o...

A Letter to the Addict in My Life

This post is not about running. This post is not about Ironman. It's not uplifting. But it's how I'm feeling and I need to write it down. And I'm sure this will resonate with some. As we approach the holidays, everyone gets so excited to spend time with their loved ones- happy, laughing, fun, warm memories.  While I definitely look forward to spending time with my family, I start to feel dread creep up as we approach this time of year. I start to feel anxious, angry, frustrated. For me, the holidays are a time I have to face the addict in my life. I have to spend my holidays keeping up stupid small talk, avoid bringing up the elephant in the room. It goes against everything I am - I am a blunt, straight forward person that has the hardest time NOT stating what is obviously in front of me. I wish I could tell you, because I want you to know: I am angry. I am frustrated. I am hurt. You are a shell of a person. Every day you choose pills and alcohol over ...