So this past weekend i raced Couples Tri with Meredith Riggs. Couples Tri is unique in the fact that you enter with a partner, you race your own race, and then at the end your and your partners races results get added together for the final result. Creating a team aspect is definately a smart way to get those newbies to dip their toes into the sport of triathlon. Usually that is all it takes.
Meredith and i won the Female Friends division. There were divisions like "midlife crisis", "more than friends " , "newlyweds", etc. Pretty fun .... I had a good race, which was really surprising in a good way. Originally i wasnt sure if i was going to race since i havent swum for 3 weeks because of shoulder problems, aswell as just the usual aches and pains every where else . But , i didnt want to let my partner down and was also curious where i was fitness wise at this time. I went out and kept on reminding myself that this was just a good "tempo " workout, and to keep it under control , and not kill myself like i usually do in a sprint. I sat and spun up the hills instead of standing and attacking them on the bike and on the run i tried to pretend as if i was doing my usual tempo run around townlake. I must say, it made the race more enjoyable , and i got to stay in that "good place" in my head. Usually when i push myself over that acceptable limit , my mind and body yell at me to stop , and then i have a mind war to keep putting one foot infront of the other. I always thought that getting to that point was the natural flow of racing, but after Sunday realised that just 1 level back in effort i could stay in that happy place. But dont think i will continue to race like that again unless it is just a "traning day ". i will keep pushing the limits ,anything else and i know that i wouldnt be giving it my all at every moment, and that is no way to race or discover yourself and your abilities. I am realising everyday that i can do more and go faster that i had ever expected, and i feel like i am just getting started too. i feel like there is still a whole nother level that i havent even dipped into that is within my abilities, and i intend to find out exactly what that level is.
Since Kansas 70.3 on June 6, and reaching my goal i have worked so hard to achieve, i decided to let my body and mind recover, aswell as focus on our Tri Team Transport business, and spend some much needed down time with Steve. We also took a two week trip up to Couer d'alene to transport bikes for the business for the Ironman that was happening there. While i had the full intention of getting up every morning to get in a trainer ride or run , sitting in the car for 15 hours a day is more tiring that i thought. The 5 days of driving there and back we were completely wiped out, so i just had to be ok with not training during that time. We did get to ride and run the Ironman course when we had dropped all the bikes off and were waiting for pickup after the race , and that was amazing. I would recommend that if anyone decides to do an Ironman, Couer d'alene should be on the list. It is absolutely beautiful , the weather is great , it is a good fair course, with a flat run - very important, and the community support there is awesome. The whole city caters to this race , and Ironman stories headline and fill the newspaper for the days surrounding the race.
We got back from that trip a week ago, and now we are preparing for Vineman 70.3. I will be racing this race , so we made the family decision that Steve would drive up and i would fly on Friday, that way i wouldnt be wiped out. I worried about Steve driving alone, but it is the end of day 2 ,and he is loving it , so problem solved. I wont have to miss as much training from being on the road from here on out. I am not expecting much as far as result or placing in the pro category since i am a step back from where i was a month ago. but i am ok with that .i am going to give it my best shot, love every minute of it, and use it has another good experience under my belt at this distance ( only 4th 70.3 ) aswell as use it as a benchmark for training the next two months till i race Cancun or Branson 70.3.
Thanks for all the prayers and for the support, and hang in there with me as i start a new journey in the pro field. It may be a slow start but i plan to change that soon, and i am more excited about it then ever.
Thanks to Jack and Adams for another fun event.Puresport, who caught me at the finish line, sat me down in a chair where i almost passed out, and brought me my favorite recovery drink - Banana Berry Recovery . Red Licorice for the support and the cheers in Transition - i loved that you all called out what position i was in, i like to hear that stuff , and you guys all know that .haha.. And lastly , I got to wear my new Tri 4 Him hat and tshirt, and that instigated so many cool conversations about faith , life , triathlon and it all tying together. More info on that in another blog .... :)
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