#R2K: 4 Months Out

For so many months it seemed so far away, just off in the distance.  This intangible thing that I was piecing together but not letting myself focus on.  Well guess what...the time is coming.  Training is slowing building to look more like 140.6 #s and less like 70.3 #s.  The spring season racing is over - lessons learned, podiums conquered, tears and smiles, to put a wrap on the early part of the year.

Breakfast on Aerobars

The training load is building and finally beginning to look like those Ironman training weeks that I remember oh so well.  My mind has completely warped, and I'm well aware, that what I consider a normal training week is likely what some others peak out at for Ironman.  And I felt like I had a ton
of free time when I was cranking out 14 hour weeks.  With the increasing training volume recently I've come to realize I can't do ALL the things ALL the time or see ALL the people.  Lucky for me I get to head to Michigan for a recovery weekend and party with the best of friends for a very sweet 1 year olds birthday.



I've been slowly finalizing all the Kona plans.  Organizing my sherpa team, making sure flights and cars and all the logistical stuff is booked.  Not so covertly encouraging my sherpa team to volunteer on or before race day...and when I googled Ironman World Championship to get to the volunteer page, you know what showed up?  Google pulled up my registration confirmation for the 2017 Ironman World Championships...holy crap...it hit me.  That dream that was so far off in the distance, that even once the ticket was punched and coin collected still seemed unreal is getting very REAL.  We're going to Kona to race.  I am going to Kona to race.  I'd be lying if I said it doesn't scare the crap out of my when I think about it a lot.  I'm choosing to focus on the process, channeling my *get to* attitude and having fun.

My comments on my workouts have recently read something along the lines of...I'm terrible at dissipating heat, this makes me super nervous for Kona....We're pushing through what looks (and I hope) to be a hot and humid DC summer.   Learning how to handle the heat, getting used to being comfortably uncomfortable again, and putting my head down watts out.  I'm racing one more 70.3 in Maine pre-Kona.  While *fingers crossed* the conditions won't mimic Kona, I'm excited for would could be a PR type of course and conditions.

The early season saw 2 70.3 distance races (which I need to write race reports for) White Lake Half and Eagleman 70.3.  Great opportunities to get some racing under my belt again, get Pete some experience attempting to use the Ironman tracker and give me info and deal with all my pre-race, race day, and post race emotions/shenanigans.  I must say he did a great job and was right there at Eagleman to tell me my position coming out of T2 (1st).


This is the part of the process I love - the daily grind, the stacks of laundry, the adrenaline, the fatigue, the empty fridge, the big grocery bill, the choice to rise up and push and see what you're capable of.  It's coming and I'm ready for it.