Small Victories

I have a feeling this journey will be all about small victories.  Yesterday was one of those small victories.  I found myself beginning to doubt myself after a swim with Joe last week.  He was kind enough to bring his wife's wetsuit for me to use.  He kept telling me in the car on the way over how I would "feel like shark" (great reference I thought, considering how Bryce loved sharks).  I was so pumped up to try out this wetsuit, as swimming in Lake Michigan kind of freaks me out a little.  I put the wetsuit on and felt invincible.  I thought, "Man, I'm going to kill this swim"!  I walked into the pool area with a little spring in my step. I "look" like a good swimmer I thought to myself.  I hopped in the water and started to swim.  Man, was I wrong.  See, I have always swam breaststroke in any sprint triathlon, because I have a really weird freestyle kick and a bum shoulder.  Swimming breaststroke in a wetsuit doesn't work real well.  The buoyancy of the wetsuit, which makes freestyle swimming easier, causes problems for a breaststroke swimmer.  I actually felt better swimming without it.  So, I had to make a decision...after talking to many people, it sounds like freestyle is the way to go...if I want to use a wetsuit...and from what I understand, I need to use a wetsuit.  I also read many articles that said the reason most people don't do breaststroke is also because the kick will exhaust your legs and you'll have less for your bike and your run. In a half ironman, that spells disaster.
I asked my good friend Patrick, who was an excellent swimmer in high school to meet us in Dubuque and help us out with our strokes.  We had 1000 yards to swim and I knew I needed to incorporate freestyle more and see if there was something he could show me that would make me a better freestyle swimmer.  He worked with Dee and I for about 45 minutes and showed us several things we could do-and he reminded me that it takes effort, time and work to get endurance.  He reminded me how long it took me to get running endurance when I'm training for a half marathon.  He's right. Maybe I've sold myself short on the whole freestyle thing.  So yesterday I swam about half of my 1000 yards freestyle.  It is wasn't horrible!  I have a LONG way to go, but I think this small victory is what I needed to motivate me to work more on my freestyle and not let the fact that I'm not good at it be an excuse to not do it.  
I often think about Jenna, Kyle and their extended family as I train.  I think about Mak's family, Clint's family, Kris's family, Joe Droessler's family.  I think about Avery Pitzen's family and Rylee Schmidt's family.  And so many more families who have faced adversity head on and still do.  Sometimes getting up in the morning is a small victory.  I use them as my motivation on days I just don't feel like training.

Other small victories during Week 2 of training:

After a really hard training session with Justin, I went on to complete a sprint triathlon at the PAC.  We swam double the sprint swim distance to get our training yards in, biked for 16 miles on a stationary bike, and ran a 5K!!

On Saturday, we needed to get a 7 mile run in, so we ran the Bunny Hop 5K TWICE :) and then ran back to the gym.  It was cold, my legs were still sore from Wednesday, but I did it! And we ran at an average pace of under 9:30 mile pace :)  

I'm so grateful to have people that will help me train and keep me going! The believe in me, which helps me believe in myself. 

The next small victory?? Getting training in by myself while I'm in Racine for Easter Break!! I may just drive down to Lake Michigan to get myself motivated to find a pool to swim in!!! 

Obstacles? What Obstacles?

"Believe in yourself and all that you are. Know that there is something inside you that is greater than any obstacle."

That is one of my all-time favorite quotes that I believe can be used in any facet of life.  

obstacle (ob-stuh-kuhl)noun Something that gets in your way or prevents you from doing something.

This is the definition of the word obstacle in the Scholastic Children's Dictionary.  This week has certainly presented some challenges during my first official week of training.  After getting everything packed in my swim bag on a Wednesday evening last week, we arrived at the PAC only to find that it was closed for repairs.  Then later in the week, weather got in the way when we were supposed to run 6 miles and swim.  We got in the car to drive to Platteville, only to turn around and head back to SUPPZ Gym because the risk just wasn't worth the gain.  I am NOT a treadmill runner...in any way, shape or form.  The mental aspects of running on one usually get the best of me after about a mile, maybe two.  But I did it.  I got on that treadmill and ran all 6 miles, knowing that I have to.  So many people have so many bigger obstacles to running on the treadmill than my stubbornness and mere dislike for treadmill running.  I appreciate having my friend Deanna next to me, even if we didn't even talk much.  When I look at my training plan, I find that I have accomplished almost all of the first week-minus some much needed swimming.  We are hoping the roads clear tonight so we can go get those yards in.  

I know there will be many more obstacles to this journey: time, summer vacation to Florida, and probably unforeseen challenges that I am not even aware of yet.  I believe when you approach an obstacle, it's how you look at it that will determine whether it affects you.  Attitude is such a huge part of all this.  I'm a worrier by nature and I'm pretty sure my Pastor Mark Dieter was preaching directly to me on Sunday, whether he knew it or not.  Sometimes I worry that I won't finish.  Sometimes I worry that I will get an injury that will make it impossible for me to participate.  But worry isn't going to get me to the finish line.  I just need to keep the faith that I will finish.  

Looking outside, it seems hard to imaging biking outside anytime soon or even running outside, but I am hoping this last snow of the year will melt within the week and those beautiful temps will return.  If not, it's just another obstacle in this journey....and my attitude and resolve will determine the outcome.  

And Now It's Really REAL....

Today marks the first official day of my 16 week 70.3 training program.  I have been doing a lot of biking on the stationery bike at SUPPZ and I have attempted a few swims here and there.  Went for my first decent outside run since I hurt my IT band last night and man, was that a reality check.  I figure I ran a little over three miles and it felt hard.  Add 10 more miles to that, plus 56 miles of biking and 1.2 miles swimming in Lake Michigan.....talk about overwhelmed.  

Today marks the day I have been looking forward too.  In 4 months, I will hopefully accomplish something I never dreamed I could, all because of a strong little boy and his family (and some nudging from well-meaning friends). Today is the day it gets inconvenient.  Planning my trainings so they have little impact on family time.  Skipping workouts and classes I enjoy to get my miles in.  Seems like such a little sacrifice when I think about the meaning behind this whole journey.

I was disappointed in myself this weekend.  I attended the State Basketball Tournament in Green Bay with some dear friends.  It's my favorite weekend of the year.  I had running shoes packed and workout clothes.  I sought out a local gym and found that there was an 8am class Saturday morning that sounded fun.  I packed protein bars and apples.  Because I'm committed to a healthy lifestyle right?  Well, I came home with the same protein bars and apples.  I never touched my running shoes except to take them out of the bag and put them with the clothes I was going to wear to this cool class that I never got up to attend.  So I guess I'm not at the point I need to be at to truly prepare myself for this 70.3.  No excuses.  I need to do better.  I have to do better.  I WILL do better.

It's a Mindset

One thing I have found the past several years is that physical fitness and diet is more of a mindset than anything else.  I'll be the first to admit that I don't consider myself mentally tough about a lot of things. I like to think I am, but really I'm not.  I wear my heart on my sleeve, I am pretty sensitive and it's not hard to figure me out.  My first experience with being mentally tough on the fitness end of things was when I completed my first marathon in September of 2013.  (and probably only). There were days when we'd do 15-16 mile runs, I'd get through them easily and felt I could do more and then the very next day I'd struggle to get through the "short" 8 mile run for the week.  I could never understand it. But when you're marathon training, the majority of it is mental.  

I see this mental toughness growing in me as I finish these crazy workouts my personal trainer puts together for me.  I feel like I can't do another rep and he throws more at me.  He knows. He's building that mental toughness in me that I'm going to need to get through this journey and to finish on race day.  It's getting easier and easier to keep going and the more sore I am at the end of a workout, the more accomplished I feel.  I have found that I have even increased the intensity of the workouts I do on my own, which has always been an issue. 

I'm starting to crave the food that is going to fuel me and Diet Pepsi is now an after thought. I haven't touched a sip of Diet Pepsi since New Year's Eve, and although I have had some serious cravings, it gets easier and easier every day.  

Now that basketball is over, I will have to start getting in my swims.  I signed up for a sprint triathlon in early June-my first open water tri ever.  Figure I better do one of those before the big day.  Or two. Or three.  There are still days that I doubt myself, but all these small "mental" accomplishments in the last few weeks, from my workouts, to my diet, to my attitude, are giving me the confidence that I'm mentally tough enough!  Which is ironic, because our Tough Mudder team was Team Tough Enough, and that event was a life changing day for me.

Sacrfices

Today was the one of the first "sacrifices" of my 70.3 Ironman Training.  I reluctantly decided to take the next round of Turbokick off so I could focus on my training.  I am realizing that I can't "wing" this training, like I have for some half marathons and other events.  I have to make time to get my bikes, runs, lifts and swims in.  Morning is the only time I have to get it done, because I want this training to impact as little family time as possible.  Although my "official" start date for my training plan doesn't start until March 16th, I knew if I started the new round, I wouldn't be able to not go.  I know this probably sounds really silly, because I'm missing a group class, big deal.  But it is a big deal to me, because I enjoy the company of our Morning RockStar Group so much.  They are an incredibly motivating group of women (and a couple men), that make it easy to get up at 4:15am...ok, well not easy....but you get the picture.  

My other sacrifice has been trying to cut out the junk.  This week was my second week of meal prepping.  It has actually been a really fun experience.  My friend Deanna, who I roped into doing a sprint triathlon with me, has really taught me a lot in the kitchen.  Our weekly meal prep has become something I truly look forward to, and my boys love their weekly playdates with her sons.  So, sacrifice? I guess it depends on how you look at it. 

As my "official" training start date gets closer, I find myself becoming mentally tougher.  I know there are going to be rough days ahead, but I keep my eye on that finish line, with my guardian angels encouraging me the entire way.   #B.Strong