Fork in the Road

Well, we are down to less than 90 days from IML. Its hard to believe, 3 months from now I will put my body through a new torture that it has never experienced before! I'm a nervous wreck already, but I am also constantly surprised by the next step my body (and any one else's body for that matter) will go to! Your body will pretty much do whatever you tell it. If you tell it to be lazy and enjoy laying around then it will, and it won't be too excited to get up and do something, and it will even try and fight with you. However, if you tell it, okay, this week we're going to push a little farther than last week, we're going to see if we can get more out of you! Guess what, it takes the punch and says "is that all you got? I'm tired, but I can keep going!"

As I'm going through this process, I'm just amazed by the shape I'm getting in. I think I've said it before, that when I did a previous 1/2 Iron, I felt like I was in the best shape of my life, but each new day in this process I need to learn to appreciate that I am NOW in the best shape of my life! :) And it just gets better...this is not saying this is easy. Its HARD! Its REALLY hard! Its really hot, and really time consuming, and you are really tired...but its also amazing! And now that I'm less than 90 days away, I'm really terrified, but also really excited. I can do this. I know my body can do it! I just have to mentally convince myself that I can do this! Its all a mind game now. Its been a mind game all along!

As I'm discovering my new limits, I'm seeing and reading about people who push so much further, so much more! I read about this guy who has completed EVERY Ironman since they started and is hoping to complete 100 by the time he is 50! And recently he hiked to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2 days (when it usually takes people 8-9) then completed an IM the next week, then completed another one the week after that! WHAT?! Crazy! Right? But, how amazing that guy must be. I truly believe anyone can do this. Its just deciding if you want to accept the sacrifices you have to make to do it. As I tell my kids every day..."no, you don't have to swim. You have a choice to make, you always have a choice. The question is, do you want to accept the consequences that may arise from you not swimming?"

So, during my long run last week (which was 2 hours and 15 minutes), it was about 9 am, and I had about 3 miles to go. I was feeling pretty good, but it was hot and humid (duh, its Miami)...so I was running slightly aimlessly, and looking for new roads to run on. I came to a fork in the road...and I had to make a decision. How was my decision made? I chose the road...shadier. The one with more trees...for either way, I was going to be running, why not run in the shade? What does that say about me? :)

In terms of workouts over the past two weeks, we are ramping it up. Did a little over 18 hours last week, including an 82 mile ride (that had a 45 minute swim before and a 20 minute run after), and a 13 mile run (that had a hour and 15 minute ride before)...Its getting hard, its getting hot...and its only going to get HOTTER...but I think my body can do it! Now I just have to convince my brain! :)