The Road to the Ironman – Thoughts

16 days until the half Ironman in Racine, WI

72 days until the biggie in Madison, WI

As many of you know I have been hitting some pretty big milestones lately. Recently I accomplished a feat that I thought may never come by riding 100 miles, followed that up by running 13 miles and today I did my second 2 mile swim. These are distances only a few week’s ago I thought I’d never reach. That being said those numbers will continue inch up from time to time as the days get closer. I am thinking there should be one more 100 miler somewhere down the road, probably a few runs longer than 13 and I made myself a promise I will swim the 2.4 miles at least 2 or 3 times. Sometime around mid-August I will have to start to cut back and let the body heal and gain strength.

On these long sessions more of you seem to be popping into my thoughts and whether you know it or not it really helps. I think of what has happened in my life since I have signed up for this silly thing and all the good people I now consider my friends, it makes me smile and makes the time slide by.

I guess this is part of the mental training I was fearful a few months ago. Yes physically the Ironman is going to be tough and very painful but my biggest fear has been the mental side. How nervous will I be as the date draws closer? When the cannon goes off how am I going to handle those 2600 people with all those elbows, knees and feet going off the same time. What will I do when I meet that first huge hill on the bike? Lastly how am I going to survive 26.2 miles after biking 112 and swimming 2.4? I am convinced one of the way I will survive this day is by thinking of you, yes you.

Sometime during that day thinking of a family member or friend might be just enough to get me through that rough patch. So yes most of my training has been alone, but all of you are always with me as I move forward in my training.

One last item tonight. I made it to the pool tonight, but my heart was not exactly in it. As I was swimming I noticed another gym member watching his kid in the other pool. As the laps went by I started to notice who he was. He is a guy that is in the pool on some weekend afternoons that I swim with. We waved and I proceeded to finish up the laps and was off to the locker room. I put on some workout clothes and it was off to the weights. As I exited the locker room I bumped into him once more. He stopped me and said he had something to say. He mentioned that I was an inspiration to him. Sometimes you just don’t know were the next inspiration is going to be and that statement said to me lit a fire under once more.

Just another thought I can pull out of the bag during all this training.

Thanks everyone!

Running totals:

Running miles treadmill: 209.60

Running hours treadmill: 31:45

Running miles outside: 272.20

Running hours outside: 42:25

New shoes: 73 miles (for my record keeping)

Biking miles: 1,241.20

Biking hours: 69:30

Spinning hours: 7:00

Swimming laps (25 yard pool) : 4,026 lengths or 2,013 laps

Swimming distance: 104,100 yards or 59 miles

Swimming hours: 23:40

Weight lifting hours: 24:55

Stair Master miles: 92.92

Stair Master hours: 11:50

Stairs in Cancun 1:05

1 pathetic game of volleyball: 1 hour

TOTAL HOURS – 220 hours and 50 minutes