TIME…..What TIME!? 

If you read Missy's previous blog you now know we are 55 days away from the big race! And in usual fashion it will be here in the blink of an eye. I have read a million different forums about IM races and the redundant factor seems to be one thing….TIME. The world we live in moves so fast nowadays and in order to better yourself you have to find the TIME to make it happen. I hear people all the time say "I can't work out …I don't have the TIME." But they may have plenty of TIME to sit in a bar all night? I'm guilty of wasting TIME too. Hell we all are guilty, if you're reading this then you have Facebook and what a waste of TIME that can be! 

The best thing I have read from the forums so far is this "You probably haven't stayed up past 8 pm and have absolutely no social life" The earliest I have went to bed so far has been 7:30…no joke! If I stay up past 9 pm I can count on having a terrible day of training the next day. Sleep is absolutely crucial when you're making TIME to bike 15-30 miles, swim and run run run, not counting being a dad, husband and boss all while still trying to maintain a somewhat normal life!  

My strategy for making time is to be proactive in the early mornings 4:30-5:00 am and if necessary take my kids along with when realistic. We have been on a bike ride, me of course pulling them in a trailer, went to the pool, and Reece and I have ran 3 races together including the Hillbilly Hustle. (picture below) We're not blazing a trail at any of these BUT we are exercising, and making memories as a family. So it's a win win! My wife and I couldn't be more proud of Reece and his accomplishments so far. He's already completed a 5K race 2 weeks after turning 4! 

Through this journey so far I have been thinking of Bryce and his family. After all Bryce is my motivation to complete this race. Having my son do some of these events with me is so important because the TIME you have can be taken away in an instant. Jenna and Kyle were so fortunate to have gotten the time they did with Bryce but it certainly would have been awesome for Bryce to be able to play football with his dad or run with his mom and all those fun things little boys do! Bryce now has a little brother to look after! Carter James was welcomed to the world on May 22nd! So now this race is for Bryce and Carter! 

So to sum things up..TIME is what you make of it and I hope you find TIME, to make the TIME you have worth every second because TIME is ticking away! 

55 Days Out... But who's counting?

I actually looked at a calendar this morning and counted the days until my 70.3.  55 Days Out. Whew! And so much to learn.  I still haven't swam in a wetsuit (except if you count the small stint I did at Platteville pool a few weeks back-that lasted about 5 minutes). I still have never swam in Open Water.  I have yet to learn how to change a bike tire.  I don't even know what I'm going to wear and I haven't figured out Race Day nutrition. BUT...this week I am going to do a practice Open Water Swim with one of my best friends from college who actually completed a full Iron Man last September.  Right now the weather is looking rather chilly, so I'm hoping it'll still pan out.  If not, looks like my first Open Water Swim could be the day of my first ever Open Water Sprint Triathlon in Lake Mills. That ought to be interesting.  The weather is proving to be really tricky, so I've spent a lot of time on the bike trainer and on a treadmill. Not the most fun to train, but you have to get the miles in.  

Swimming has been interesting.  UW-Platteville closed for a month.  So last week Deanna and I made a trek out to Hoffman Hall in Prairie du Chien.  It's housed next to a prison and the building itself is kind of creepy.  But the pool was wonderful!!  Only to find out this week is the last week we can swim there,  because they are closing their indoor pool in anticipation for the outdoor pool to open.  So, when I was in Stoughton for a birthday party on Saturday, I headed to Verona Natatorium to swim.  Beautiful pool! Great facility! And for only $3!!  Swimming has been the most inconvenient of my training, but I have proven to myself that when you commit to something, you can always find a way to get it done.  It's that or never make it out of the lake to complete in the other two legs of the race! 

 Verona Natatorium 

Outside of Hoffman Hall

I went to Endurance House in Middleton on Saturday as well, and really got an education in what I need to think about for my tri.  Who knew I needed a "race belt".  I tried on some Tri Suits and reserved my wetsuit for my sprint tri.  Being in the wetsuit brought back the uneasiness I had when I tried to swim in it in the pool.  I'm hoping this sprint tri will give me confidence vs. freaking me out!

As summer grows closer, I am met with mixed emotions.  I know I will have more time to train, which excites me! I also know I'll be gone to Florida for a week and that scares me.  I know I won't have the access to a bike, the pools are more fit for recreational swimming and trying to find a place to run in an unknown environment will be tricky.  I also know this is the one and only time our family will go to Disney and I don't want to spend time away from the boys during this trip.  So I may get all my long runs/bikes and swims in just before we leave and make sure to do another set of those when we return and allow myself to just enjoy my vacation.  :) Life is short.  You have to take the time to make those memories, because someday, that is all you will have.  

Until then, I'll continue to bust my butt.  My trainer actually pushed me to my breaking point last week.  It was the second time I've cried during this training.  I was so disappointed in myself that I couldn't finish the workout the way I thought I should be able to.  But, some workouts are like that. You have to suck it up and keep going.  Hopefully this week will be better! 

I'm going to leave you with this quote I saw.  I cannot begin to thank all the people who have helped me along the way so far.  People I didn't know, friends who have helped me train, words of wisdom that have kept me going, people who have watched the boys on those days I had to train and Shane was gone.  I'm thankful to Mary and Brent Sheckler and HerSuppz for sponsoring me in this.   I'm so grateful and thankful for those people and when I cross the finish line on July 19th, you'll be the first people I look for/talk to!  

Adversity

I've been blogging now for several weeks and up until now, things have gone pretty smoothly.  I have been faithful to my training schedule, made time to train even when it was inconvenient.  I've dealt with some shoulder issues and think I have a plan figured out to get through the swimming part.  I've done great on my bike and feel better than ever about that part of my race-except for the fact I don't know how to change a flat tire (add that to my list of things to learn before July 19.)  It's been relatively smooth training......until now.

I've always had tight hamstrings-refer back to a previous post about my lack of stretching.  My left hamstring has been an ongoing issue since my marathon training a few years back.  I tweaked it again last week during one of my bootcamp classes.  I wasn't able to do my long run this weekend and that really frustrated me...until I talked to my friend Jenny who completed a full Ironman last September.  She couldn't believe the miles I have put in already and said that her longest run when training for her 70.3 was 11 miles.  I ran that at Week 7 of training!! So, having to back off of the running part of  my training worries me a little....ok, A LOT! But she reassured me that I'll be ok.  

Handling adversity is one of life's biggest tests.  I could call it a day and decide not to complete this journey, or I can face it head on and finish anyway I can.  Of course, I'll be doing the latter. I'm not one to give up.  I finish things I start.  This recent injury is just going to make it that much more difficult. But then it brings me back to Jenna, Kyle and Bryce's family.  Everyday they face adversity. They face a life without their baby boy.  They don't have a choice.  They have to keep moving forward.  Their strength gives me strength.  

On a more positive note, I have some of the biggest cheerleaders out there.  Last week my trainer gave me the ultimate test.  I knew it was going to be a rough when he named it "The Confidence Workout".  He said if I could get through this one, I could get through anything.  Wow, was he ever right! It was literally the hardest workout I think I have ever done.  A total mental game!  But I did it! I think I may have even impressed him a little. So while I running may need to be limited, there are still so many other things I can do to prepare. 

My best friend is a PT.  And an amazing one at that!  She first scolded me for not taking time to REALLY stretch.  Then she showed me several deep stretches and massaged me out a little.  She's bringing over some PT stuff tonight and even right now I'm taking her advice and sitting on a tennis ball as I type :)  

I'm feeling extremely blessed through all of this.  Many of my friends have commented about how excited they are to take the road trip to Racine this summer to cheer me on.  I know with them on the sidelines cheering me on and Bryce on my shoulder, there is no way I won't succeed.

I'm going to leave you this week with a few quotes that really spoke to me this week:

Geronimo

Ge·ron·i·mo

jəˈränəˌmō/

exclamation

1. used to express exhilaration, especially when leaping from a great height or moving at a high speed.

I LOVE music! It motivates me, pushes me, and just makes me happy in general.  Certain songs remind me of times in my life.  Happy times, sad times, times of uncertainty, and times of triumph.  The song "Some Nights" by Fun always reminds me of MaKayla.  After she passed away, it took months before I could even listen to it again.  It wasn't until her class sang it at Cabaret in April, that it made me smile again. They were dressed in rainbow colors and sang it with such beauty and feeling and I knew Mak was there that day.  It was interesting, because when I was marathon training, that song seemed to come up whenever I was struggling.  Like she knew.

The song that reminds me of Bryce is Geronimo, by Sheppard.  When I looked up the meaning of the word to put on this blog, it fit perfectly (not planned by the way).  There's something about that song that just keeps you moving.  I often put it at the end of a tough SWAT Bootcamp workout and the people that come to my class agree that it's a great way to end and leaves us with an awesome feeling.  So I found in interesting how, like MaKayla's song, it just seems to pop up everywhere, when I need it most.  Like Bryce is telling me to just keep moving. 

On Wednesday, Sue Fritz made a route for Joe and I that would allow us to bike to Platteville so that we could swim after.  Deanna and Patrick were going to meet us there and then put our bikes on the back of her car and drive us home.  It was SO SO windy that day.  There were times I felt as though I was going to be blown right off my bike.  Even Daredevil Joe wasn't flying down the hills as fast (you know it had to be windy for him to slow down!) And the hills! Oh the hills.  Anyone from Southwest WI knows how hilly Stage Rd is.  We took Stage Rd to HWY B and that took us to Platteville.  It was about a 25 mile bike ride.  With hills, I think I'll add an extra 10...  There were two times Geronimo came on during my ride-once in the middle of probably the biggest hill we had.  I didn't think I was going to get up it.  The song came on and it was like I had new legs.  The second time it came on was just as we were coming into Platteville.  Tired, windblown.  Hearing that song felt like Bryce was telling me "Great job! I knew you could do it."  

So Geronimo is now Bryce's song.  Long after I'm done with this 70.3 journey, it'll be his song.  A song that reminds me to aim high.  Go after your dreams.  The moving at a high speed part is a bit questionable.  I wouldn't call myself fast by any means!!

Mother's Day held a little bit different of a meaning for me this year.  I thought a lot about Jenna during the weekend.  When Shane asked me what I wanted to do for Mother's Day, I didn't know.  I almost felt overwhelmed about having to make some grand decision about what to do.  Because really, all I wanted to do was have the four of us together.  It didn't matter what we did.  I didn't need a fancy gift, flowers, or a day out doing stuff.  We ended up going to a park, making ice cream sundaes and watching movies.  It was wonderful.  Just being with my boys and enjoying every second. 

Things that went well this week:

I was able to get my 11 miles in!  I know there was no way that I could have done it without Deanna and Patrick, two friends who have been beside me swimming and running since day one.  

I got my long swim in after Brady's soccer game (on the same day I ran 11).  I was exhausted, but got all 1800yds in, which is about the amount I will have to do on Race Day!

I think I secured a friend who is willing to take tons of pictures on Race Day so I'll have some great memories to look at long after it's done.  

Things that didn't go so well:

I found out the Platteville Pool is closing from May 16-June 6.  NOT good timing, especially since the lakes are a little cold to swim in and Deanna and I have our first open water sprint triathlon on June 7. Looking to find a place to swim for a few weeks is proving to be difficult.

I didn't get a 45 miler in on the bike.  The one on Wednesday was pretty tough so I'd like to think it was close to equivalent? Maybe not.  I did hop on my trainer bike for a few hours, so although it wasn't 45, I'm getting in as much as I can.  I know I'll make up for it when summer comes and I have more time to train.  

I will leave you with a picture that pulled at my heartstrings this weekend.  It's a picture that Jenna had posted on Facebook of Bryce with a picture of his little brother who is on the way.  A little brother he will never meet on this earth.  If you haven't clicked on the B.Strong website link on this blog or the Hunter's Hope link, I strongly encourage you to take a minute and read Jenna's story.  It breaks my heart that any mom would have to go through what Jenna did, especially when prenatal testing is available (Jenna and Kyle have done a lot to get Krabbe testing to be one of the tests all mothers go through).  They are huge advocates for research.  I am hoping that through this blog and the race that it will bring awareness to this little-known, devastation disease.

What I've Learned....

I've learned a lot about myself already during my training, but this week was particularly eye-opening.  I'm in my 7th week of training...not quite halfway yet.  Runs, rides and swims are getting progressively longer and training is starting to become "inconvenient".   My friend asked me if I was sick of training.  I don't think I'm "sick of training", I just think it's starting to get overwhelming. This weekend was the first time I've shed tears during training.  I was supposed to run 10 miles on Saturday. I've run 10 miles several times in my life while training for other runs.  The weather outside was gorgeous, I had just had an awesome SWAT class (it's a bootcamp class I teach" and I was ready to go.  This run was going to be a solo run, as my normal running buddies were unable to join me.  No worries, I thought to myself, as I tied my shoes and got my playlist ready.  I'm going to have to do it myself on race day, so might as well get used to it.  The first 4 miles went pretty well.  There was a lot of hustle and bustle in Lancaster during CityWide Garage Sales and lots to look at.  I got to my house right around mile 5.  I was tired, warm, and I just felt like I had nothing in me.  Weak. I never got to 10 that day.  In fact, I stopped at 7.8miles.  I just couldn't do it anymore.  I've been beating myself up about that all weekend.  How am I supposed to finish a 70.3 when I can't even finish a 10 miler on fresh legs??  How did you let yourself quit? Why couldn't you just "b.strong". That was what kept going around and around in my head.  I cried.  I vented.  I had some friends who said, "That's ok.  7.8 is great!" We all need those friends.  But I wasn't satisfied.  There had to be something with my diet that was missing to not have that energy.  Something has to change.

Nutrition and food is something I'm always battling.  I can do awesome and make great healthy choices all week, and all it takes is one bad choice and I'm back to where I started.  Remember that post a few weeks back about food as fuel? Well, I seemed to have forgotten all that and resorted to eating junk.  It's starting to affect my workouts in negative ways.  So this week, along with trying to find a wetsuit for breaststrokers is on my list of things to do!  

The good news, is that every day is a new one.  An opportunity to do better.  On Sunday, the day after that horrible run, I brought my swim gear with me to my son's soccer game in Platteville.  He played at 11:45 and again at 2:15.  So right after his first game, as the rest of my family headed for lunch, I was dropped off to swim my long swim for the week 1500yards.  Not only did I swim that, and felt great, I opted to swim another 300 yards to make up for the run the day before.  I swam 1800 yards in well under an hour, so I felt much better.  

Things I've learned this week:

1.  Nutrition Matters! It's not about eating to lose weight.  It's about eating to stay fueled.  My good friend gave me some advice on what to eat before I do my longer workouts and I'll be looking more into sports nutrition this week using some sites my friend Kelly sent my way.

2. Don't skip a workout! I slept in Wednesday morning instead of getting up to go to the gym and had to make up those miles the next morning, which didn't give me as much recovery time for the next day's run.  And I had a really rough day-probably because my morning was so out of my routine. 

3. You are going to have bad training days.  What's most important is that you don't give up.  You get up, dust yourself out and attack each new workout with the best intensity you can.  Know that some days will be harder than others.  

4.  This is a mental game.  Yeah, you have to do the training to be able to finish, so it's not all mental, but a big part of it is.  I joined a triathlon women's group on social media and it has been SO helpful.  So many women, sharing stories, frustrations, triumphs.  I read people's stories and it reminds me that everyone has as story.  It's up to them (and me) to finish it.  

5.  Sleep is imperative.  I'm learning that the hard way too.  All of my workouts are in the morning and there have been nights I've only gotten 5 hours of sleep.  It may not hit me during the next morning's workout, but it'll catch up to me.  

6.  Ask questions!  I talked to the lifeguard at UW-Platteville about my wetsuit dilemma.  She had lots of great advice!!  

7.  Just keep believing in yourself.  Self-doubt started creeping in again this week.  People ask me about how long this is going to take and I start to think about it and get freaked out.  But all it takes is a good workout, a great conversation with a friend, or a minute to reflect on the reason behind this journey and I'm right back at it. 

It's Super Hero Day at School today.  I wore my B.Strong shirt for my youngest hero :)