Redemption

Ironman 70.3 Austin was my first Ironman affiliated event. It was also my first have-faith-in-yourself, make-the-leap race. I trained for it while still going to school full time and working 25 hours a week. I was forced to learn how to be disciplined and how to find joy in pain.

My training consisted only of high intensity sessions and a lot of strength work (that was all I had time for). My times solely improved due to strength, not because of speed or better endurance. I had a goal time to finish at 6 hours, but what I didn't realize at the time was how much specific training you need to do to hit a goal time. There's long bike rides and bike pacing and endurance runs and tempo runs, etc. Long story short, I finished at 6:40.00 and was so devastated and disappointed in myself. I had given up mentally before the start of the run. That hurts me more than not being physically prepared.

I now have the chance to redeem myself. Three years later, I'm going back to race Ironman 70.3 Austin this October. I have nearly a whole year under my belt on how to train and recover properly, and I understand all the different kinds of training sessions that are needed. I will be entering the race with a lot more confidence and experience. I will also be having another have-faith-in-yourself, make-the-leap race because I am going to give it everything I got, mentally and physically. My ultimate goal of the day will be to qualify for the world championships, and in doing so, I will know how to plan my following year and career in this sport. If not, I will take my foot off the gas pedal and possibly return to school and remain an amateur athlete until I am really ready to make a run for it/am in peak condition.

I have a three tier goal this time around. Just achieving the first level will be enough for me. I will be on cloud nine. The next two goals will just be icing on the cake and will top off what has already been a ridiculously amazing, awesome, and joyful year.

Goals
1. 5:15 or under.
2. Podium in age group.
3. Qualify for 2014 70.3 World Championships.

High goals? Yes. But I wouldn't have it any other way. Spit spot! Time to get to work. Got only 14 weeks to get ready!

Got my game face on :)

Grin

I present to you - me and my goofy grin:

Cheesing on the course

I competed in the Shadow Creek Ranch Triathlon yesterday. It was a nice overcast morning, and I barely noticed the heat until I was finished with the race. The swim and bike went well, but I lost concentration on my run (busy trying to fix my watch) and didn't run at my full potential. I was also really tired and sore from a hard training week as I didn't take much rest or taper for this race. 

Swim (500m open water)

Warm but not too warm. It was a pretty comfortable swim except I was really having trouble swimming straight in this race for some reason. My arms were definitely sore and tired from doing weights the past week. Maybe that's why I couldn't steer properly. That's okay! This isn't my A-race, and I can feel myself getting stronger and faster in the water as the weeks go by. Swim time was 10:27.3. I was 10th coming out of the water.

Bike (16.4 miles)

Wheee! It was a fast course except for three 180 degree turns, and those were all done twice since it was a double loop course. Those turns made the course more technical and forced me to use more energy to accelerate. Got off the bike after 45:30.2, averaging 21.6 mph and finishing with the top bike split in my age group! I know what my strongest leg is! :)

Run (3.23 miles)

How embarrassing of me to lose focus on the run because my watch was malfunctioning. :( I should have just continued to push the pace and run by feeling (which I normally do, until I'm performance/number driven). I ran a 7:14 split for my second mile, seeing that, I thought it was too hard and let doubt shut me down on the last mile despite feeling pretty decent. As motivation to reach the finish line, I coerced myself to try to pass 5 people, then 10, then 15 all in the last mile. I didn't think it was possible to reach 5, but once I did, my confidence was boosted and I brought it home, ending the race in another sprint finish, passing the 13th person right before the line. I definitely paid the price as I thought I was going to die while doubling over and hanging onto an ice tub to stay upright. Run time was 26:34.5, a 8:15/mile pace. :( Going backwards here!

Results

I got 2nd in my age group and am now 2/2 for podiuming this summer! :) I don't think I podiumed at all last summer season. I also got a belt buckle as the award, which is nice. I need to start wearing belts anyways, especially with the way training has been going ;)

Yeehaw! Nothing says I'm Texan like a big belt buckle!

BUT!! My most accomplishing moment of the day was... purchasing a shirt. A really cool shirt because it had green on it. Haha :) The shirt was a side gift for donating to send a blind athlete to London for paratriathlon world championships. He got invited but needed the funds to get there. Supporting him is so much more satisfying than podiuming or winning a race. I'm helping make someone else's dreams and goals happen. I can only hope when my time comes that I will have many more supporters as amazing as you are. :)

Family

At the race last week, I overheard a man/fellow athlete mention how his entire family was competing that day. He did the entire race while the rest of his family participated as a relay. His daughter swam, his wife biked, and his son ran.

This is freaking awesome. (To the tune of Thrift Shop!)

Ever since I got bitten by the Ironman bug, I've always dreamed about my future family and how we'd travel to races and compete. It just makes me smile inside to envision us training together, going through the same ups and downs, and understanding each other/how much discipline and work is involved. Also, life is so much easier when people understand what you do/love and how hard you've worked for it.

In the meantime, I have my furry family to train with, take care of, and celebrate the wins and losses. :)

Future world champs in the furry division! 

ps, if you ever see or talk to my sister Karen soon, try to convince her to do the Ironman 70.3 Texas in Galveston next April! I'd love to do a race with her, and this time we'd actually be competing in the same age group! :)