My bike has been shipped. I’m 99 percent packed.  My pre-race pump-up playlist is complete. I swam for the last time at Shadow Cliffs this morning. I’ve practiced flat tire repairs. I haven’t tripped over my own two feet. I’ve checked into our flights. We leave tomorrow morning. It’s time for Ironman Coeur d’Alene and I can’t believe it.

A year and a half ago I decided to make this giant leap from runner to Ironman. Why I was propelled to make this jump had no logical explanation. I had no swimming background, and cycling appeared dangerous and I couldn’t even fathom clipping in – all I had was running. But truth be told, an Ironman has always been that shiny star that silently consumed a hidden part of my heart. Every time I heard that someone had done/was doing one, they immediately entranced me. They were pushing the human body to its ultimate limit, reaching new highs and lows to achieve something once thought impossible. There! That’s it! Seeing what you’re made of to achieve the seemingly impossible – what is more inspirational that that?

I said no to the idea for a quite a while and used my 60 hour work weeks and two and a half hour commute each day as a rational reason not to train. But after three years of this, I decided to this wasn’t the life I wanted to live. I needed to do this. I talked to my managers, explained my goal, figured out how to make it work and it was settled, I was starting a new journey because it turns out, I am indeed in charge of my own life.  As we all are.

The journey began and the beginning wasn’t pretty. I gasped for air as I paddled through eight laps, I experienced crippling open water anxiety, I asked my husband how to pump air in my tires, I was terrified of clipping in, my confidence was rattled when I showed up to my first group ride and everyone was wearing Ironman jerseys, I was mocked for not having the right gear and looking like a Fred – I literally had no idea what I was doing.

At the time, I was embarrassed, nervous and well, just think of every adjective you could use to describe your first day of your freshman year in high school and that was me. But here’s the thing: when faced with trying experiences, you’ll find out more about yourself and the people around you than you could have ever expected.

Coach Paul put up with my crazies and helped build my skills and physical endurance to where I am now. Simon swam with me in the open water, talking me through my anxiety. Ilona, Jared, Tom and Ray spent entire weekends with me, making me laugh as we rode hour after hour. Carrie helped work my ankle out after I obliterated it. The entire Kinney Multisport team became my weekend family, swimming, cycling and running, helping push me to new levels. My friends didn’t abandon me even though I never saw them. Aron and Nicole always Gchatted to check in on me. My husband and real family put up with my absences and supported this time-consuming endeavor. And my dad, my dad is the truest form of inspiration that keeps me going every single day.

Without ever planning or realizing it, a group of people form that build this incredible support system, a net that will catch you when you fall. And if I’ve learned anything, it’s not a matter of if you fall, but when. I’m blessed they were there to catch me when I did.

Just days before Ironman Arizona, I fell, both literally and proverbially. As they wiped away my tears, I knew I had to get back on the saddle. After three months of physical therapy, I wasn’t about to quit and I re-dedicated myself to Ironman Couer d’Alene.

It’s been six months and we’ve come full circle. This morning’s swim had a significant amount of open water anxiety that seems to appear whenever I get nervous, and to say that I’m getting nervous would be an adequate assessment.  The flurry of questions and fears about race day are never-ending: will I have an anxiety attack? Will I get a flat? Will I fuel correctly? Will my ankle act up? Will my GI system play well? Will I finish?

But as Coach Paul likes to remind me, right now I can’t waste energy on things that I can’t control. My mental game will either make or break me and I need to stay positive. With that, I look back on where I am now as compared to this time before IMAZ (prior to the injury), and it’s fascinating. I feel like a different athlete. My swim speed hasn’t improved, but my endurance has. I am so much more comfortable on the bike and have fallen madly in love with cycling. I also got in far more long runs this cycle as my knee injury wasn’t too much of an issue. I feel strong, excited and happiest when I’m cycling and running. Being out on the road fills my heart and it reminds me of my only mantra I’ve ever given myself, “This is who I am.”

My heart feels like it’s going to beat out of my chest and I haven’t even left California yet. The journey to Ironman hasn’t been easy, but it has transformed me into a new person and has helped me test my limits, discover new loves and honestly, discover who I am. As my dad always says, “It’s not always about the goal, but the journey.” This adventurous journey has been truly irreplaceable.

Now that we’re nearing the finish, I’m left wondering what it will be like to cross that finish line and hopefully hear my name called. Of course I have time goals that encourage my never-ending mind games. But deep down, I know that the goal here is to simply enjoy the day, what I’ve accomplished and to finish. That’s what the first Ironman is all about anyways, right?

The journey isn’t over just yet, but I can say this, if there’s something you want to do, then do it. Don’t be afraid to take risks, be courageous and go on adventures. But more importantly, do it with passion or not at all.

With that, I want to say thank you for being part of this journey. Your comments encourage me every day and always bring a smile to my face. If you want, you can track me here. I’m #129. I’ll be posting on Instagram and Twitter, and am contemplating having Chicken Face tweet for me. Thoughts?

Well, I guess this is see you later and Happy Running!

Today was my last day at my job as my career dreams are becoming a reality: I’ll be moving to Portland this July to start my new job at Nike! I still can’t quite believe this is happening…

My over-the-moon enthusiasm should be evident as this is quite literally my dream job. Career-wise, this decision was a no-brainer and it is a fantastic fit for both my skill set and my passions. However, there are a few very important details that will be challenging over the next year: Chicken Face still has a year left in grad school and we had to have some very serious conversations.

Long story short, we have decided to do the long distance thing for a bit (with joint custody of Lola) and will survive on a hefty diet of FaceTime, Skype and Southwest RapidReward points (it’s only an hour an a half flight). Personal details aside, we know it won’t be easy, but we also know that it’s for the best and I am so very appreciative of the opportunity and for my family supporting me as we make this big move.

So why am I telling you this and providing all of these additional, personal details? To be honest, I’m absolutely pumped for the job, but so very nervous/scared to be away from my husband and dog for that long. Plus, I have only been to Portland once in my life and that was for the interview and I only know two “in-real-life” friends and one Internet buddy who live there.

I have so many questions (do they have a lot of triathlons? Good cycling hill climbs? Is it all free love and organic?) and I would love to meet new people, make new friends, eat at new restaurants, explore new rides, run new trails, and keep my heart full while I’m away from my family. With that, I ask you…

Where should I go?! Who should I meet?! What races should I do?! What should I see?!

Now to pack for an Ironman and a huge move…Happy Running!

So let me start of by saying this loud and clear: YOU NEED TO FUEL YOUR TRAINING. I don’t care if you don’t “feel” hungry, or if you’ve read some crazy article about how you can actually train/race without fuel, don’t be an idiot. You need to. And take it from me, I was once the idiot who didn’t fuel because “I felt fine,” and “I wasn’t hungry.” Oh, foolish, foolish child. I paid for it when I ended up in the med tent after both the NYC marathon and Boston marathon. No fuel = your body will shut down.

I’m not a nutritionist, a coach, or even a personal trainer, so what I say here is what has worked for me. You know the usual disclaimer: please work with a professional when creating your fueling plan as what I have below is just my personal plan.

Let’s break it down by each sport:

SWIMMING

Funny thing about swimming: you can’t actually eat or drink. But never fear, if you eat a proper breakfast (carbs, sugar, protein), you will be fine for a workout. When I’m doing my swim workout, I don’t stop to drink. I need to train my body to use the fuel I ate prior to the swim and not rely on fuel throughout the workout.

If you’re racing, my coach advises that I take a Gu and some water (~100 kcals) about 15 minutes before the swim start. With your breakfast, this is enough to get you through a 2.4 mile swim. Fueling for the swim is pretty straight forward.

CYCLING

Ok folks, here’s where things get interesting and I will warn you again: I am still figuring this all out.

I know that for my height and size, I needed to take in around 250 kcals per hour. This means that every ride and race requires planning and a little math. Even though I did the math, I had no clue how to fuel on the bike in the early days (see this ridiculous fueling like a fool post). The questions were plentiful: do I consume all of these kcals via solid food? Via liquid? How do I make sure I get enough kcals and enough liquid to stay hydrated? How do I even eat and/or drink while riding?!

I asked my coach and he gave me some ideas of what to do, but really advised me to try different things out and see what worked for me. So where do I start?! I started by looking what was going to be served on the course as this is the safest route. Train with what’s on course and you’ll be prepared should something happen while on the course. I did so and my stomach didn’t really take well. Fast forward through a few different trials, I found that I don’t like fueling solely on liquids and gels. I like the feeling of solid food and my stomach can handle it just fine. However, you must ensure that you are getting enough liquids and electrolytes to stay hydrated. Through some trial and error, here is what I have found works for me:

• Liquids, calories and electrolytes: 2 scoops of CarboPro(tasteless calories) + Vega Sport Electrolyte Hydrator (the smaller, red box in the upper left-hand corner of the photo). (~200 calories per bottle)
• Electrolyte/Salt Pills: Hammer Nutrition Endurolytes Pills. Often times, I can’t finish a whole bottle, so I take two of these with water at the top of every hour to ensure I’m getting my electrolytes in

• PB&J or Uncrustables: When I make my own PB&J sandwiches, I make sure to make them the night before and cut them up into four squares so I can eat them throughout the hour. Making them the night before helps the jam soak into the bread so it’s easier to eat. I also really like Uncrustables because they are frozen and defrost as you ride. They are full of not-so-great ingredients, but taste like gold and are easier to eat than the four PB&J squares. (~200-300 kcals per sandwich)

• Pringles: AKA my secret weapon of choice! I do not eat Pringles… unless I’m on the bike as I save them for my special pick-me-up. They stack perfectly in my bento box and have the salt that I crave on a hot day. Trust me on this one, just get the regular flavor and you’ll experience cycling euphoria on a hot summer ride.

• Clif Shot Bloks or Gu: Like I mentioned above, sometimes I just can’t get through my bottles or for whatever reason, get through all of my kcals, then I eat ClifBloks. They taste great, are “solid” and I can pop a couple very easily whenever I’m not hitting my calorie goals.

Coach Paul has also advised me that as I’m nearing the end of the ride at IMCDA, to increase my calorie intake even more to prepare for the run. You won’t be able to take in as many calories on the run, so you’ll want to be sure that you have prepared yourself well.

Over the past year, I’ve learned that I actually perform better when I eat more. I have since upped my calories from ~250, to 250-300 calories per hour. I know it seems like a lot, but you HAVE TO EAT. I don’t want to hear how you bonked, don’t know why, and then find out that you bonked because you just didn’t feel hungry. Just eat dammit.

RUNNING

Given that I’ve never run a marathon after 112 miles, I’m sure come June 24^th I could be singing a different song. But for now, here is my very simple plan: one Gu + water + electrolytes every 45 minutes to an hour. I’ll take advantage at whatever is at each aid station, eat what I feel like eating in addition to the Gu, and honestly, just survive.

Whew! Now with that, I present to you my complete IMCDA nutrition schedule (yes, I mapped it out, shared with my coach and got a stamp of approval). Let’s just see if I can stick to it.

IMPORTANT: Please note that hydrating is not listed everywhere as that is a given. This plan is just trying to list out the bulk of the calories. Hydrating will absolutely be a regular part of the routing. In fact, my watch beeps every 10 minutes as a reminder to eat and drink. I will also add additional calories as I roll through the aid stations and eat other goodies as I see fit, especially on the run. Moral of the story: EAT A LOT, and likely, more than is listed here.

Now it’s your turn, what are your fueling tips?

Q: Kimra asked, “How did you decide which Ironman course(s) to do and what were the big factors for you?”

When I was first considering an Ironman, I did the same thing that you do when you search for a PR course: find the flattest and fast one out there. Ironman Arizona is known to be among the flatest and fastest — I was sold.

Q: Alisa asked, “When you got injured for IMAZ did you know you wanted to sign up for another one? Did you know that you didn’t want it to be IMAZ?”

Image via.

When I got injured and fell to the ground, the only thing that came out of my mouth was, “BIG RACE! BIG RACE!” My inability to use anything beyond one syllable words was an indicator of the shock I was in, but I can honestly say that there was never a doubt in my mind that I would finish my quest to become an Ironman.

I can pull eight of my dad’s quotes out right now that could apply to this situation, but my favorite is always, “It’s not what happens to you, it’s how you handle it.” A really shitty thing happened, but honestly, it could have been much worse. I’m thankful that I listened to my body, took the three months to recovery properly and to rebuild my strength one mile at a time. When I fell off the horse, I got right back on. I never doubted that I would try again — that’s just not who I am. I can’t give up that easily.

As for how I picked the next one, I knew that I had built a really solid base and I didn’t want all of that to go to waste. Thus, with the counsel of my doctors, physical therapists, and coach, I outlined all options, analyzed race dates and my estimated recovery times, reviewed course features (I knew I wanted a race that had a wetsuit swim and no humidity/overwhelming heat), and IMCDA presented itself as the perfect option.

Q: Kimra asked, “How did triathlon training affect your running speed?”

Ironman training is all about endurance and not mapping back to the speed you would have if you were training for a running race. I’ve had many chats with my coach about this as I’m usually the one complaining, “I want to go faster! I want to PR! My speed is going away! Blah, blah, blah.” But he is quick to remind me that while you can work on your speed, Ironman training is about ensuring that you can withstand the day-long, grueling event, and honestly, survive. My running speed has definitely taken a hit, but I’m excited to build it back up post Ironman.

Q: Rhea asked, “What does Chicken Face do to help you spot him when he’s spectating?”

My family actually made amazing, neon shirts, and I kid you not, I can see them from the water they are so bright, and I just look for the bright shirts as I’m approaching finish stretches.

Q: Becca asked a few questions, “Where do you run to get in your distance? Do you do a different route every time? How do you stay energized for work? What do you do about sunscreen? What brand or type works best, how many times do you reapply, and how do you put it on when you’re all sweaty and/or wet from swimming?”

Well Becca, creating new routes takes time, of which, I don’t have much. Thus, most of my routes are the same routes around my neighborhood. If I need something new, I’ll ask a friend to go and for them to pick the route, or use MapMyRun.com to search routes that other people have uploaded in my neighborhood.

As for staying energized for work, go to bed early! Yup, you will become the equivalent of your grandmother. But don’t get me wrong, 3 p.m. hits and I want to crawl under my desk and pass out. I’ve also been known to drive to the pool after work and take a 20 minute nap in my car before I head in. In fact, I did that very thing today.

To answer your sunscreen question, I was lucky enough to be given a bottle of Coola sunscreen and I LOVED it. Organic, smelt great, I was in love. Then I went to buy some more and holy expensive! So I just switched to the generic Safeway spray sports sunscreen and it works quite well. Just spray before you ride or run, then re-apply whenever you can. I’ve also tried Neutrogena for my face and when I sweat, it dripped into my eyes and burned like crazy. Moral of the story: make sure you get sweat-proof sunscreen. A few tips from a fellow ginger who burns easily: I prefer the spray sunscreen because I can reach more places on my back.

Q: Kiki asked, “Are you really comfortable on your bike for 112 miles? I LOVE my road bike, and would not have a problem being pretty comfy for 100+ miles, but my Tri bike is NOT comfortable after about 35 mi…but I was just wondering if riding in aero for that long will be a challenge for you?”

My tri bike is really the only thing I’ve ever known so yes, I am as comfortable as one can be for riding 112 miles. I go in and out of aero as there’s no way I can be hunched for 6+ hours, but have gotten quite comfy on my bike. My best advice would be just to keep at it, get a good fit (which I know you said you had), and make sure you have a seat you like. There were a lot of other questions about nutrition and what to wear, but stay tuned, those answers are coming soon.

Oh and Sarah, you asked about my finish line dance. Here you go.

Hope my two cents help and happy running!

Mary asked, “How do you fit in/balance the all the training + work + all the things in life that need to be done (grocery shopping, home maintenance, etc.)?”

Well, Mary. I hate to disappoint, but I don’t. It’s simply impossible and I don’t even have kids!

Let’s back up a bit first. My choice to do an Ironman was a strategic decision. At this point in my life, I don’t own a house, I don’t have kids, my current job is quite steady and doesn’t require much travel, and my husband works full time and goes to school at night for his MBA (thus, is extremely busy too). When I first decided to make the jump to an Iroman (the IMAZ days), it was a conversation with my husband, my potential coach, and an open understanding that this would be a massive time commitment. Unfortunately, I don’t think my husband quite understood what we got ourselves into…twice.

One sprained ankle, one DNS, two training cycles and a year and a half later…there is no easy answer other than balance is really tough. And to be quite honest, it’s trying on a relationship. I won’t force you to wear the rose-colored glasses here: Chicken Face and I have had our fair share of arguments about time, priorities and my training.

In addition, my house is a disaster, I have worn my hair in a wet bun to work for the past four months, a Target trip is the only shopping I do, I’ve been trying to get through the same book for the last six months, I haven’t seen my non-tri friends in a really long time (thankfully they are athletes too and understand), my family reminds me how little they see me, and any social interactions that I do have are cut short by me saying, “It’s 8:30. It’s late. I gotta get home because I have a big training day tomorrow.” Quite frankly, your entire life is scheduled around your training.

But wait! Don’t go running in the other direction!

While Ironman training is no easy task, there is so much to gain from it. Outside of the physical gains, I have been introduced to so much that I wasn’t aware of before and my cup now feels full of adventure and growth. I have also found new passions that make my heart smile, for example, cycling. I am madly in love with this new sport. I’ve also discovered gorgeous places, made amazing new few friends, have learned how to be alone with my thoughts, how to overcome disappointment, and actually, how to balance my life and communicate with my husband even more than before.

Something strange also happens: when you make something a priority, it just gets done and the other priorities in your life seem to fall into place as they should be.

Wendy also asked, “When you look back at all the hours and hours of training you did, do you regret putting in that much time? Did you sacrifice husband time or family time?”

Whoa, Wendy. Deep question.

Again, to be completely honest, I often feel guilty. I know that my training requires a huge amount of time focused solely on myself. Yes, it’s selfish. My husband is great at supporting me, but he isn’t an endurance athlete himself, nor is anyone in my family. Thus, it’s just “Page being crazy” and wonder when the addiction will stop.

But no, I don’t regret the sacrifices I’ve made. Because in the end, you only regret that chances you didn’t take.

Ironman training IS a serious investment that has it’s highs and lows, but I love it. Just be honest in the time investment, make sure that it fits with your life and have a support system in place. Those people (e.g. my husband) are critical to your success, just be sure to return the favor.

Now it’s your turn: how do you try to find balance between training, life and family?

Happy Running!

While I didn’t see the crash itself, we rolled up onto a young man who was a friend of a rider in our group who had apparently hit some gravel, somehow lost control of his bike and ended up in pretty bad shape. We immediately hopped off our bikes, and started making the necessary calls, slowing traffic, waiting for the ambulance, etc. Thankfully he was ok, but the scary, and bloody, scene was enough of a reminder about the importance of cycling safety.

While there are plenty of people and sites that can provide much more extensive safety information, here are my cycling safety 101 tips that were helpful when I started cycling:

1. Helmets: Seems like a no brainer, right? I can’t tell you how many time I’ve seen what might be the dumbest people on the planet riding without a helmet. I don’t care who you are, how experienced you may be, or even the fact that you are on a “regular” bike, wear your MOTHER FREAKING HELMET. There is no arguing this as there is absolutely no exception in which you should not wear your helmet. Oh, and if you’re one of those parents who makes their children wear their helmets, but somehow, you’ve been given the mysterious power of invincibility, I thoroughly question your decision making ability. Be a role model, will ya?

2. Follow Traffic Laws: Look ma! I’m smaller, I can weave in and out of cars and by-golly, it takes far too much energy to brake at stop signs. <– Don’t be that guy. If you want respect on the road, respect the road laws and ride with traffic, not against it. Outside of your own safety, cops will ticket your sorry butt for rolling through that stop sign and cutting off everyone else.

3. Ride One or Two Across: Trust me, I like to gab while riding like the best of them, and on wide open roads, I’ve ridden more than two across. But anywhere else, ride in a single file line, or only if the bike line is wide enough, ride two across.

4. Don’t Wear Headphones: I know, those long training rides seem daunting with no musical mojo to keep you going. But just leave your headphones at home. It’s incredibly unsafe, and you can just consider it mental training. Plus, you’re not allowed to wear them during races anyway.

5. Be a Team Player: Us runners and cyclists, we need to stick together and be respectful to one another. To do so, there are a couple of ways that you can help your fellow cyclist as you are riding:

• Use hand signals if you’re turning or stopping:
• Call out cars: say “CAR BACK” if there is a car coming from behind you, or “CAR UP” if there is one coming toward you.
• Call out glass: If you see glass, or start to pass it, simply shout “GLASS!” so other can know to avoid it.
• Passing: If you are going to approach someone, do so on the left. However, go above and beyond and politely say “On your left” as you pass. Nothing is scarier than being completely surprise by someone zooming past you.
• Signal debris: If you pass something that another cyclist behind you should be aware of, just shake your hand on the side that the debris is on.

Like mentioned above, these are just a few of the many, many ways the way to stay safe of the bike. But please apply these and share your cycling safety 101 tips below.

Happy Running (and cycling)!

Two anxious, nerve-racking weeks from this moment, I will have hopefully crossed the finish line to this unbelievable journey that has been my quest to become an Ironman. AHHHHHHHH! I can hardly believe that we are here…and how much I have learned along the way. Training for an Ironman (well, technically two I suppose), has transformed me from a treadmill runner, to a cycling obsessed, run-a-holic (who still doesn’t care much for swimming), endurance junkie.

Hey. That’s me. Doing what I always do: watching my watch.

As I’m preparing my mind for what’s to come, I realize that I have been a little bit absent over the past couple of weeks. I’ll fill you in on why a bit later, but for now I’d love to hear from you and share whatever two cents I may have gleaned over the past year and a half. What questions do you have about swimming, cycling, running, triathlon, nutrition, gear, Lola, gear, anything?

While you ask your questions, I’m putting my finishing touches on a new IMCDA playlist, a SOAS Race Kit review, and more.

Happy Running!

Today I toast not only the physical benefits, but all of the stories that come with every run and the adventures they send you on. The medal rack Chicken Face got me is not just a proclamation of finishes, but a library of stories, trials and triumphs over the past 10+ years.

It’s a collection of adventures and friendship, independence and reflection, and the miles that helped shape who I am today. More recently, it’s been my time to simply think about a lot of upcoming changes.

So for that, I salute you running.

If you’re looking for a way to celebrate National Running Day, the folks at Timex are doing a fun campaign: simply tweet or Instagram with the hashtag #IMARUNNER. Timex will be giving away 60 Timex Ironman watches at random to runners who use the hashtag on National Running Day. In return for each eligible submission, Timex will also donate $5, up to $15,000, toward One Fund Boston. You can also enter by submitting a photo or story directly on the Timex Sports Facebook page “#IMARUNNER Tab.”

How are you celebrating today?

Happy National Running Day and Happy Running!

Unlike last year’s IMAZ training, IMCDA training has consisted of two 20 mile runs, two 2.4 mile swims, three 100+ mile rides, multiple double bricks and the big triple brick. All of which are far more than I got in before because of my knee injury – phew! With that, here’s a look at the past two weeks…and I’m going to abbreviate it as much as possible.

Oh, and more importantly, BIB NUMBERS ARE OUT!

Week 19

Mon. 5/20: Rest

Tues., 5/21: Swim & Competitive Eating

I am continuing to work on my incredible eating skills, including this taco salad that will only set you back $12. Life is good.

Wed., 5/22: Run

Thurs., 5/23: Ride & Run

Fri., 5/24: A Special Visitor

Guess who came to visit… only the most adorable nephew in the world’s best t-shirt ever!

Sat. 5/25: TRIPLE BRICK!!!

Once in the training cycle we complete the infamous triple brick. This daunting day starts in the early a.m. and by the time you’re done, the rest of the world is getting ready for dinner.

While the triple brick (bike-run-bike-run-bike-run) makes for a long day, I actually think it’s quite manageable as you mentally break it up into chunks. Rather than “I have almost 100 miles of cycling and over 15 miles of running to do in one day,” you break it into the chunks and celebrate each chunk’s completion. In fact, the worst part of the day is the fact that you have to load your bike into your car three times for the run.

I thankfully rode with my friend Tom, where we commiserated about the heat and rejoiced in its completion. I felt strong, probably didn’t eat enough, but was happy to have that epic training day under my belt.

Sun., 5/26: Long Open Water Swim

2.4 open water miles with practically no anxiety. I’m happy to say that I think I’ve beat this whole open water anxiety thing!

I’m about to throw my Garmin against the wall as it keeps malfunctioning, so some of this data is an estimate, but I believe I closed out week 19 with:

12 hours and 13 minutes of training:
8,300 yards swimming
109.22 miles cycling 
24.16 miles running

Week 20

Mon., 5/27: Rest

More R&R time with the world’s cutest nephew who demands to hold my finger (well, I may place it there myself)…

Tues., 5/28: Run

This week I struggled to find the balance between training and life, and on this particular day,  life won and I missed a swim.

Wed., 5/29: Ride & Run

Thurs., 5/30: Ride

Fri., 5/31: Yoga & Open Water Swim

Sat., 6/1: Long Ride

Holy mother of all that’s summer. 111 miles in 95 freaking degrees, plus a special guest appearance by the wind. Sure it was heat training, wind training, mind training, yada yada yada. But by the end, I was ready to never see the sun again.

Sun., 6/2: Run

Confession time: I overslept my 2.4 mile open water swim. GAH! But alas, I made it up by getting in 13 miles where my legs proceeded to feel heavy from Saturday’s ride. My body is tired and ready to do this thing.

I closed out week 20 with:

12 hours training:
2,200 yards swimming
135.73 miles cycling 
21.41 miles running
15 minutes yoga

So there you have it. Not a lot of volume, but some solid workouts. Taper here we come!

Happy Running!

Saturday was intense and Sunday was 2.4 miles of open water swimming, the very same thing that I had done the weekend prior. I arrived at the swim around 7 a.m. wanting to do nothing but sleep. It’s quite possible that I could have fallen asleep standing up. But this is nothing new in Ironman training – you must prepare to be tired and push through it.

I got suited up and into the water to do my anxiety drills. All went as planned. The rest of the group got in the water and like that, we started two loops of the Shadow Cliff triangle to equal 2.4 miles.

I started swimming and when I went to sight, I noticed that the three other guys that I’m usually not too far behind were pretty far in front of me. I knew that they were going all out for the first four minutes and I had strategically chosen not to so I could stay calm and prevent an anxiety attack. But the further they swam, the further I fell behind.

I stroked and breathed the way I usually do, but my body just wasn’t moving. It wasn’t too long before I was swimming completely solo and had lost any sort of swimming gusto.

Was it my fatigue from yesterday’s workout? I’m sure that played a part of it. But I also know that I was in my head, but this time, it wasn’t the “high jacking a school bus full of penguins and causing an unnecessary panic attack” (as Coach Paul would say) sort of thoughts. It was life thoughts.

Outside of Ironman training, there has been some big life moves happening right now. It has completely consumed me and over the past couple of weeks, it has become my main goal and priority, knocking Ironman down a few places. The stress of it all had finally caught up to me and made sure that I was aware of it on this swim.

For 2.4 miles I thought about everything and anything BUT swimming, and it completely obliterated me. I came out of the water cursing myself, walked over to the showers and one of my friends looked and me, shook his head and just said, “What happened?”

I couldn’t answer, grabbed my stuff and just left. It was childish, but I didn’t quite know else to handle this.

Over the past couple of days, I’ve been thinking about what happened and how I could have handled this differently. This isn’t a sympathy post, but rather an experience I wanted to share because how I handled this experience was all wrong.

It’s great to preoccupy ourselves with outside, tangent thoughts to get us through our workouts. In fact, it’s almost mandatory when riding 6+ hour days. But when you think about goals and dreams, the motto still rings true: dreams don’t work unless you do.

More than ever, I believe that if you want to get serious about your results, you need to get serious about your training. I am in peak Ironman training and I threw and extremely important workout out the window by letting other thoughts consume me.

As difficult as it is to sometimes compartmentalize your life, sometimes you need to, or it will eat you, and your athletic potential, alive. Running is my time to think about life, but as you get serious in the game, training needs to be intentional or you are doing yourself multiple levels of disservice. I should have tried to not lose focus on the purpose of that swim and I should attack each workout with intention. So with that, I learned a very key lesson…

Get focused. Get serious. And of course, happy running!