In 45 days I will be completeing the Half Rev3...for those of you who are not aware of this distance it is a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride, and a 13.1 run. Yes, each is done right after the other.
I completed my first Olympic distance in June and I have another Olympic distance in August followed by a Sprint distance triathlon in August. Piece of cake, right?
This past weekend I came back after a short hospital stay, ran 8 miles on Friday, did a long bike ride of 45 miles on Saturday, and then completed a brick of 30 miles on the bike followed by a 7 mile run. My legs were pretty sore each day! Of course, this past weekend was also one of the hottest! As my endurance grows, I'm learning more about fueling my body. Hydration and nutrition are becoming very important, scratch that....Hydration and nutrition are becoming critical factors in increasing mileage. I'm having a little difficult time figuring out how much to bring with me on the long bikes, runs, and bricks; however, I still have time to practice.
After my hospital stay and uncertainty of what I could do physically, I was feeling very discouraged and thought I missed too much training time. After meeting with my trainer and completing last weekend's workouts I'm feeling more positive about completing the longer distance in September.
In order to stay on track, stick with my training, and in an effort to make this as painless as possible I'm committing to the following mini goals......
1. to lose at least 10 pounds, ideally 14, and wishfully thinking 20....by September 11. Weight has always been an isssue for me- my problem being I love to eat and I love my beer. A good weight loss goal would be 10-14 pounds by September 11. I will reach this goal because the less weight- the faster I will swim, bike, and run! Oh, AND the less weight- the easier it is to swim, bike, run! I gained almost 60 pounds from the 3 year period of time that I was, um....."lost". I've lost 30 since last October and I'm ready for the last to come off so that my training and health becomes easier and improved. In order to reach this goal I will quit drinking! Yep- you heard it. I'm a realistic person so I'm going to allow myself 4 cheat days where I can have a limited amount- only if needed. Also, I'm going to increase my fruits and veggies!
2. my second mini goal is to complete all of my training days that I have planned. Sounds easy but life gets in the way and some times a workout gets skipped. Realistically speaking... if a workout is missed, I will not freak out. I will simply do the missed workout on my rest day.
3. my third mini goal is be as positive as possible. I will refrain from any negative thinking such as...."It's too hot", "Im too tired", "I hate hills", "Am I done yet?", "I don't feel like working out today". I do pretty well keeping a positive attitude but I've noticed some negativity creeping in on my longer workouts. I'm going to blame dehydration and I will be more mentally aware going forward. One way I stay mentally positive is reminding myself that there are those less fortunate and that I am very thankful for my physical abilities. Another way to stay positive are my mantras..."I am strong, I feel great" and "Believe Love Understand Empower".
Training days are planned, game plan is set, mini goals are out in the open, now it's time to execute.
Believe Love Understand Empower and everything else falls into place.....
if you're mind wanders and your stomach turns to knots
when you're feeling slow and energy runs out
stop for a moment and remember why you started
adjust your thinking and don't forget to breathe
rejuvenate your mind and the body will follow
now begin again, pick up the pace, and get back to your groove
remember the confidence, the excitement, and the desire
you've done this before, you've practiced your moves and you've rehearsed the actions in your mind
you're unstoppable now, give thanks, and bring it home
Believe Love Understand Empower .....and the direction to turn you will soon know!
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