I haven't written a post in a while but that is because I have been training pretty darn hard, at least to my standards. I am now just one day away from competing in my first ever triathlon. It is just a Sprint Triathlon, but it feels like an Ironman to me right now. Nerves are on edge, anxiety is starting to set in; the question "why am I doing this, and am I crazy?" keeps popping up in my head. Even if I look past this race this weekend, I look to next weekend and see an even more daunting task, the Louisville Kentucky Derby Marathon. But these events are exactly what I have trained for and what has given me the drive to lose weight and be healthier. These events are not the finishline, but the start of what I hope to be one of the best years of my life!
I volunteered for a local half marathon at the end of March. I didn't participate because I was in the middle of my training and didnt want to go "all out" on a race event of that distance before my marathon - (sound advice from a co-worker.) So instead, I volunteered to give me added motivation of being around thousands of runners. The race went really well and I had a few people I work with participate and get some really great times and PR's. During my time there, I met co-founder of Newton Running Shoes, Danny Abshire! This guy is a self-made man who has developed custom shoes and orthotics for some of the most elite triathletes and endurance runners in the world. If you dont already know how big Newton Running is, take a look at the most recent winner of Ironman Championships in Hawaii. Look what he is wearing as he crosses the finish line. Yep, you guessed it, Newton Running Shoes. Now, I am not advocating that people switch shoes to Newton's but just getting the chance to meet someone of Danny Abshire's stature in this sport, is motivation enough. But, it didnt just stop with meeting him, I actually ran with him and he evaluated my running form. Wow, I did feel lucky. Dannny is a great guy who is very passionate about his product and it shows. He is a little man who looks a little like a very in-shape Mel Brooks. He never stops moving and is always talking; he is a great guy. So these are some of the reasons why volunteering at a large local race can be motivating; you may get to meet people that are influential in the sport, you get to give back to the sport, and its nice to get to cheer on your friends at the finish line.
Other than that, like I said before, I have been training as much as I can. I train about 13-15 hours a week doing anything from strength training, running, biking/spinning, swimming, stretching, and yoga. I have been going to a physical therapist for my hamstring strain and foot issue. It seems to be helping, but I wish I had no pain at all, but I am not sure that will EVER happen. It's better than the other choice of not getting in shape and sitting on the couch and taking years off my life by beign sedentary. That's what I used to be, and I damn sure don't ever want to go back to that.
Since I have my triathlon tomorrow and my marathon next week, I am into my taper period this week and next, so my workout schedule has lessened a little. Insteaad of 3000 yard swims, I am only doing 1100 to 1500 yards, also I am only running 20-22 miles this week with a long run of only 10 miles. Next week, I will only run about 5-7 miles total before the marathon. I am running shorter, faster runs rather than longer, moderate paced runs. Biking hasnt really changed so much because I wasn't going especially crazy with the mileages anyway. I try to keep my weekly bike/spinning mileage to around 75-100 miles a week. I did go to a local Triathlon Shop and do some bike trianing with a wattage trainer so I could evaluate my power usage, but overall, my biking has remained relatively the same. I thought I would enjoy the taper period since it would be slowdown of my regualr activities that I have been gradually increasing for over a year now, but that is not the case. In fact, it is just the opposite, I have been relatively uncomfortable about the whole thing. I have more time to think about the "what ifs" and "woulda, coulda, shoulda's." For example, I now wonder if my taper period will affect my performance and endurance for the upcoming races. Everyone that is more experienced than me (which is virtually everyone) says not to worry that I will appreciate the extra freshness and energy that my body will feel and that everything will be just fine. I know that all those people are right, but I still feel like I should have trianed harder, stronger, and longer. I guess it's just the anxiety of the first races, but I hope I am ready.
I still have that "fat boy" mentality that I am just not good enough to particitpate in these events, and that I still don't belong in these types of settings. It is still hard to look in the mirror and see an a runner, triathlete, or even a person that has lost the weight that I have. Speaking of weight loss, I have lost a total of 170 lbs., but I still dont see it, or that I have lost that much. It is nice to see people that I havent seen in a while, and they walk right past me not knowing who I am. That does make me feel good and it shows me that even though I may not always be able to see the changes, that other people can see it.
Well, hopefully I will make it through the next two weeks without too much much damage. I will post again after the races. To those of you that are reading this looking for some motivation, inspiration or gratification on your own weight loss, I am not sure how, but I hope you find it, because it is not about how many races we enter, how much blood or sweat we lose; it's about somewhere in all the running, weight lifting, walking, biking, swimming, hiking, and overall weight loss; that you just find yourself and try to make the most out of every day we are given. With that, I wish everyone the best, and I will talk to everyone next week!
Until next time!
Tapering my training, anxious, getting frustated, but finding myself...
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