Dirty Thirty Dare

The next 30 days are going to be my greatest challenge. Starting Sunday, I'll have the Ironman 70.3 World Championship and soon after flying home and unpacking, I'll have to repack in two weeks for the ITU World Championships in Chicago. Three days upon returning from that, I head out to Oklahoma for the Long Course National Championship. Uh, big cookie? I may have bitten off more than I can chew, but I love chocolate cookies (and pretzels) as much as I love testing, pushing, and challenging myself.

I like big cookies and pretzels!

What's my limit? How much faster and stronger can I get? How can I be better? I want to be the best me. How can I get there?

Well, first is a lot of sleep and rest from all the traveling and training. Second is putting in the work each training session. Third is believing in myself that I can not only accomplish the goal at hand but crush it.

Why dirty? Because it's going to get rough and tough. My motivation is going to waver. My body and mind will be pushed to its limits. I'm going to want to give up and take it easy, but instead, I'm going to have to dig deep. Real deep. Tears might be shed, sweat will be poured. It's going to get dirty.

But at the end of the day, when all the blood, sweat, and tears are all washed off and I am clean, there will be a new and improved me. Even if I don't fully complete the challenge and all its goals, I'll still benefit from the journey and all the hard work. :)

Where does the road go? Who knows, but the journey is nice!

Please join me these next 30 days with your own challenge(s). What's something you've always wanted to try or do? Is there a challenging bike route or hill you've always avoided? Do you want to run or go to yoga class 3 times a week? Is there a dance you want to learn? A book you want to read? Are there new recipes you want to try? Let me know what your dirty thirty day challenge is so we can hold each other accountable and help one another reach our goals.

Ironman 70.3 World Championship Goals

1. Soak in the experience and just do my best.

2. I would love to finally break 5 hours! (Might not be possible because of the mountain on the bike course)

3. Have the PR run I know my body's been waiting to do.

4. Crack top 25 in my age group (going to be a really tough one to do since everyone will be so strong).

ITU World Championships Goals

1. Redline as much as possible! Been holding back all summer because of the concussion.

2. If any headaches occur during the race, be smart enough to shut it down to protect the brain.

3. Enjoy being at a home ground Worlds and engage with as many Team USA athletes as possible. 

4. Bang out a PR swim, bike, and run for a sprint.

Long Course National Championship Goals

1. Have fun and enjoy my final race of the triathlon season.

2. I would love to massively PR at the 70.3 distance here on this flat course

3. Finish within the top ten athletes in my age group

Big cookie for a big appetite. :) what's your dirty thirty dare?

Turbo Turtle's first World Championship!

My First Worlds

I just wrapped up my final week of peak training in Austria and now I get to enjoy a recovery week before race week. During these past few weeks, I have been reminded of just how amazing the human body is. I mean, I already knew a lot about its awesomeness from studying it to be a doctor, but from a performance standpoint and pushing its limits, it has been an exhilarating time for both my athletic and student mind.

The roads here are great and the scenery is breathtaking (especially when climbing up the Alps!)

What you and your mind can will the body to do and how it responds is pretty incredible. When coach posted my training plan to prepare for Worlds two months ago after I got cleared from my concussion, I thought there was no way I could possibly complete some of those peak training sessions, but I brushed that thought aside and said I wouldn't worry about it until the time comes.

The water in the lakes are so blue, it's ridiculous!

Despite feeling really out of shape from doing nothing for the month of June, it was really easy jumping back into training mode. I was more relaxed than I had been all year, putting less pressure on myself to perform at a certain level since I knew I needed to take it easy to protect my brain. 

Austrian country side. Views like this goes on for miles and miles!

Who knew that the secret to getting better was to not care? ;) As each week passed, I felt stronger and more confident and actually started looking forward to the harder workouts so I could challenge myself. I was always hungry for more. More power, more strength, more sweat, more miles, more fun. I was also hungry for less. Less stress, less doubts, less pressure, less negativity. My appreciation and passion of all the little things I love about this sport and what I do, even to what may seem like the trivialest of reasons, all grew daily. They say distance makes the heart grow fonder, and yes it has. I feel more like a kid again -- care-free, in awe of everything, and nothing has limits. With a lighter mind and heart, I've been able to perform at a level I knew I was capable of but could never manage to produce.

Hitting my stride on both the run and the bike the last few weeks :)

The last three weeks have been so thrilling to witness as my mind and body worked in harmony to bring me to the best shape I've ever been in since the old glory days of junior olympics. I know for the past two years I've been preaching about believing in yourself, and I have been to some extent, but right now, I'm believing in myself with every molecule of my being, and I must say it feels freaking fantastic! This past weekend I was flying up and down the Alps outside of Salzburg without suffering (or maybe because I was having too much fun and it masked the pain) and I normally dislike/suck at climbing. :)

Hellooo Alps!

I feel like my entire life journey has molded and built me for what's to come in the coming weeks and I can't wait to see what all the hardships I've been through and all the hard work I've put into myself will produce. The little kid in me is so giddy that any outcome will be a dream come true.

Shooting star gazing on our first night abroad. Making wishes and finding dreams.

They say you find your truest self in your most peaceful moments. Well, this is certainly one of those moments. Breathing the fresh mountain air and spending most of the day doing what I love in some of my favorite scenery inundate me in an unbreakable sense of calmness. When your body, mind, and nature all become one, you feel pretty invincible. I sense an extra power in me; it's quiet but still loud in its presence. I feel like I can do absolutely anything I set my mind to, and that's a very dangerous power to give me. Race week starts tomorrow, and I cannot wait to use this quiet power to make a loud impact. :) 

:)