Ready. . .Set. . . Go!

When I first thought about attempting to complete an Ironman race, I thought about how impossible it would be to get my body in "that" condition to do "that". However, when I looked back at swimming and how I started out with baby steps (a little kick board here with a little freestyle, some backstroke and breaststroke added in) training was all about one day and one workout at a time. I couldn't and wouldn't allow my mind to pass the goal of the day. So why should training for an Ironman be any different?

I learned early on that training is about distance, not speed necessarily. So, the first time I laced up my running shoes (back in August of 2009) I started off extremely slow and let everyone in the world pass me by. It didn't matter that I was running slower than I could walk, the point was, I was running. I knew I would get faster - eventually. However, the day after this lovely 7-mile, first day back to running adventure, I couldn't walk and literally had to scoot down the stairs on my butt by the end of the day in order to go forward - anywhere.

Through this process, I have learned another lesson: CHECK THE EGO AT THE DOOR. This race is not about anyone else. It is about me. There will be people who are faster and those who are slower. I will be passed in the water, on the bike and in the run. How many people pass me on my first go-around with Ironman won't matter and shouldn't matter. This race is about the finish. All I need to do is finish (nothing like a little blog pep talk to get myself going today). Well, let me rephrase this; with my competitive nature, it will certainly be about finishing, but I want to finish before someone (or a lot of some ones - I can't help it - it's in my nature to want to be competitive).

Even though I know that this race is about me and my level of preparedness, I cannot help but think, when someone runs past me during a training run, "but you didn't just finish swimming 4,000 yards and you probably aren't running for an hour and a half". UH! I just need to give it up and do the best I can with the ability I have. I need to keep it fun and be smart with my body. Not only is this race about physical and emotional stamina, it's about using the intelligence I claim to have and not push myself too hard, too fast (that is difficult as well because I would love hop on my bike in a few months and be able to ride 100 miles without issue, but I must realize this may not happen).

Training is about getting back to the basics that I implemented when I first got back into the pool; one workout at a time, one day at a time. It is about training smart, having fun and focusing upon the goal(s) that stand before me.