Hi. I just realized my last post on here was in January of 2012. I even had made it a resolution to get serious about my blogging in the New Year. Well, three months after the New Year started, I'm back. Not only am I back blog-wise, I am back into training full swing. Now back to my original question:
Does anyone have a brown paper bag I can hyperventilate into? Or maybe a cold beer I can chug? Or some chocolate...chocolate always makes me feel better.
I was at work yesterday, much like any other day, wading through mountains of receivables, bank statements, security deposits, receipts, etc. I took a 10 minute mental break to check the website of my half iron triathlon to see if there were any hotels sponsoring the event. I knew I needed to make a reservation asap so I figured I'd spend a tick finding some info. Next thing I knew, my ears were ringing, my head was pounding, my heart was racing, my guts were twisting, and my mouth went dry. I very carefully and slowly rose from my desk and walked as briskly to the bathroom as possible. I didn't think I would make it. Face planting at work is not something I get paid to do. Anyway, I took a few minutes to collect myself and run some cold water on my hands and wrists to cool down. The same number kept racing through my head: 105. 105 days until 70.3 miles. 105 days until I face one of the toughest mental and physical challenges I've ever faced. 105 days to stay healthy. 105 days to train my bootay off on the bike (my achilles heel of triathlon thus far).
After I thought of all the things I HAD to do and SHOULD do in the next 105 days, after I calmed down and refocused on the 1000 receivables I had to review for work (yes, I was still at work and yes, I still had to work), I thought about how I was going to persevere and overcome the next 105 days. I thought about what I had done and what I had planned in the next 105 hours, the next two weeks, that would take me through the next 105 days of training and get me to race day.
1) Six hours post panic attack: I spent 45 glorious minutes on my newly tuned, trued, and cleaned Specialized Dolce road bike. I sped around the baseball field bike path over 25 times, shifting and turning my way into and with the wind. The softball players probably thought I was nuts but hey, I needed a safe riding area.
2) 48-hours post panic attack: I'm running a 10k race in Fargo. It's a training run for me-we can't all take the weekends off-but I'm also going to try to break that one hour 10k time. UPDATE: I did it! 10k in an hour flat. So, I technically didn't "break" the one hour mark but I beat my last official and unofficial 10k time by over six minutes. P.S. Sandy's Donuts in Fargo = amazing!
3) Saturday April 21: I'm helping to re-shingle my house. If that's not cross-training, I don't know what is. Also, I have a fear of heights, so perhaps tippy-toeing around my roof like that cat in that famous musical (you know which one) will help me overcome that fear, which should help me overcome my fear of 70.3 miles.
4) Today: I'm training. I'm visualizing. I'm organizing. I'm taking time for me, for my son, for my husband, for my friends, for my family. I'm living life to the fullest, while keeping things in balance.
I'm still nervous about training and racing because of my nagging neck issues but my chiropractor is amazing and has helped me get to the point where I can train hard, work on strengthening my neck, and keep moving towards my Half Iron Man. He's also one of my sponsors so I am able to try some of the goodies his office promotes as part of a healthy and active lifestyle including protein shakes, hydration options, etc. Yes, I am now a sponsored athlete. I will wear custom logos on my racing and training shirts. Just like the pros, except I still pay for everything, minus some help to cover costs. But, I am working on building my "entourage" for my training and support team. Matching t-shirts and visors might be in the works, with a custom logo for Team Iron Mike. Perhaps a silouhette of me doing the falling-tree the first time I clipped in my bike pedals. Ah, memories. How far we've come...
So, we're down to roughly 105 days or so until my big race. I have an Olympic Distance Triathlon, the Tinman, next Saturday morning. I'm really excited to see what I can do at this distance. I struggled in August but I think I'm in better overall shape and condition this time. This race is a tad short on the swim and bike but boasts a full 10k run at the the end. Not an "official" Oly distance but one I should be able to push through and compete hard at. I'm giving the biggest competition there a run for her money: me.
Happy trails.
Keep on movin'
Iron Mike in Training
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