A Different Perspective

This weekend I volunteered as swim support for River Roux, a 70.3 triathlon in New Roades. I have to admit, the irony did not pass me by. To think that I was now an official safety person in open water was kinda hysterical to me...considering my history with open water anxiety and not knowing how to swim.  Things have changed in the past four years. I have to admit I truly enjoyed being on the water in a kayak and watching the swim portion of the race unfold close up. I had a whole new perspective on what I must have, and what I currently must look like swimming. I was able to observe what a strong swimmer looks like, and what a weak swimmer looks like. I saw some people swimming, but literally not moving... or moving backwards due to an inefficient kick. I saw breast-strokers and bobbers. I saw the fast swimmers move effortlessly with a strong stroke and kick. I saw the weaker swimmers fight the water and struggle to progress forward. I watched what happens when you don't sight ~  the waste of valuable time and energy trying to get back on course over and over again.

Turning Blubber to Iron...Step One: Get Fit

I have signed on the dotted line. I am now an official registrant for Ironman Florida 2013! 

I'll admit, I waivered a bit this weekend after watching the efforts of 2700 athletes battle their way to the finish line of this year's event. The final questions of "why do I want to do this?" and "can I really do this?" went through my mind once more as I saw the faces of many athletes as I volunteered in the T2 women's changing tent and later as I cheered along the run course. But in the end, the positives outweighed the negatives, and the smiles in the finish chute washed away the agonized expressions from my memory, and motivated me that yes I can do this and yes I want to do this!. Seeing people's hard training finally come to fruition seemed to lessen the negative observations and make it all seem worthwhile. 

And so it shall be. November 2, 2013 I shall be a different person ~ mentally, physically, and spiritually. And the process starts today.

Rinny and The Coug

Watching the race process from start to finish, observing my friends preparations and performance, and studying how the athletes made their way along the route - how they transitioned - how they dressed - how they raced - were all a huge part of my race weekend. There were a few highlights however that made it extra special. These included meeting Miranda Carfrae (even though I acted like a complete idiot), watching my friends cross the finish line (some for the first time), and my volunteer experience in the changing tent.

I made many mental notes along the way and learned ways to perform faster and more efficiently:

Understanding Intention

Although my "training" doesn't officially begin until November 1, 2012 I am starting to have my initial baseline testing creep onto my schedule. I participated in the Holiday Hustle 5K this weekend for my first run test in a long, long time. Considering my heart rate was through the roof, I was pleased I kept a decent pace and didn't throw up on anyone at the finish. I think I am going to start a side column with my testing stats just for my own jollies as I progress through training - hopefully to reinforce the progress I will make!

I am finding my behaviors this week interesting - I am in a "nesting" mood. I have been attacking the house with a vengeance, power washing the outside and deep cleaning the inside as if to prepare it to stand alone for the next year when none of those things will get done. I also think I am trying to earn bonus points with my husband with hopes that my efforts will numb the reality of what is about to come.

I'm getting excited to take on this challenge and to live this journey to the fullest. In two weeks I will go to Florida to volunteer at the race, cheer on my friends who are participating in 2012, and take the plunge and register myself for IMFL 2013 the following morning.

I've been thinking a lot about the "principle of intention". Intention is the framework for the creation of reality. Before you can have a plan, you've got to have an intention, the thought of what you want to see happen or where you want to go, or what your ultimate goal is. It is important to have a clear understanding of your intention and what motivates it. The moment you create thought, you create potential action. By sharing that thought out loud, you are enlisting support and the aid of others, whether you mean to or not, by simply sharing it. When you write your intention down, you have the opportunity to clarify your thoughts. I didn't realize it at first, but the past few months have been a time for me to gather my thoughts, clarify my intention, and determine the motivation and reason for my intention. Once that process was finished I was ready to declare my intention, and sit with my Coach to make my plan. My decision to put it in writing via this blog was my way of putting my intention out into the universe and start the domino effect of energy that will ultimately turn it into a reality.

"Whether or not you realize it, your intentions set up an energy field around themselves. You strenghten that field by what you think and what you envision. You strengthen it by what you write and what you say and by enrolling people through collaborative processes. The more explicit you make your intentions and the more time and energy you give to implementing them, the more you realize the likelihood of seeing your intentions actually manifest in reality. Intention is not only a principle: it is a power, a force. When your intentions are aligned with the higher aspects of yourself, you set the conditions for the Universe to support you in bringing your intentions into physical reality."

I plan to embrace this journey and see it through to a successful completion. I am going to put a lot of my mental energy into creating a positive experience that builds confidence and self-esteem along the way to becoming an Ironman. That is my intention.

A New Journey Begins....

It is funny to me how this blog started off in 2009 as a journal of the training and experiences that would lead me to my first 70.3 distance triathlon, and four years later it is about to change to a journal of the training and experiences that will lead me to my first, and likely only, full Ironman distance race.

I have questioned whether to journal this journey or leave it to play out in the memories of my aging mind, but I decided that as it likely will be a life changing experience however it turns out, it is worthwhile to record it as already my memory is foggy at best. Who knows? Maybe this will develop into the best-selling book I have always wanted to write. Or maybe it will just be another piece to the puzzle in discovering just who I am and what makes me tick. Or maybe it will just end up a training diary that someday my children may enjoy reading. However it turns out my experiences and feelings, fears, and weaknesses are going to be out there exposed to the public for better or for worse. This has been one of my biggest deliberations. To blog or not to blog.

Le Tour De Canada....Partie Quatre...Le Chapitre Final

See? Even my French is getting better! I failed to mention two other momentous moments of the previous days in my Canadian Journey...

1) Solange, Anne's maman, was instructed to speak to me only in french while I was there because I requested the total immersion tour of Canada. That lasted just through the beginning of lunch on day one... and then abruptly ended because all I could say in response was "oui, oui" and then drink heavily. Conversation was limited. I will practice more for our next meeting.

2) Big John gave me a motorcycle ride through the hills of Muskoka on Saturday. This was actually one of the highlights of my trip (although I think he thought I was kidding when I told him that). There is nothing more freeing than riding a motorcycle with a big good-looking burly guy through a foreign country. Ok, that sounds weird, but owning a motorcycle was always on my bucket list until I had kids, then I gave it up. This was my replacement. Thanks Big John. Thanks FreeBird for loaning him to me.

Ok, so on to Sunday ~ race morning. I hate to say that I am such an experienced triathlete now that there is not much more I can write about my pre-race ritual than has been written in the past, but it is true. But there were a few differences this time. I actually got a good night's sleep the night before the race, likely due to my emotions of the day wearing me out. In addition, I had been trying not to snore all week long so I wouldn't disturb my roommate. Finally my body gave in to exhaustion. Sorry Crowe. Apparently my return to snoring interferred with her sleep that night.

Le Tour De Canada - Part Trois - Have You Ever Seen The Rain?

Disclaimer:

I have a problem sometimes with being overly open about my personal feelings, and I am not afraid to be honest about things that probably should be kept private. In blogging about my trip, initially I thought I would omit many of my personal experiences and focus only on my race report, keeping the writing light and funny. It may be the wrong decision, but initially this blog was created as a personal journal that I opened up for the world to see. In keeping with that, I have decided to acknowledge some of the more personal moments of this trip in order for me to one day reflect on my journey.  Having said that, if you prefer light and funny, you may want to skip ahead to the next posting!

Friday morning we awoke to another breakfast feast, this time consisting of green eggs and ham, and of course more bacon. We all took our time getting up, but once awake we organized ourselves for our pre-race ride. I scrambled to find water bottles and re-attach the bags that belonged on my bike that had been removed for travel. Once everyone's bikes were ready, we headed out to Deerhurst Resort for a short 12 mile ride.

I'll admit it. I was a bit anxious. I hadn't been on my bike in weeks, and the last time I rode it my ride was cut short from a planned 56 miles to about 30 miles...and that was the longest I had ridden since Gulf Coast Triathlon back in May. My neck issues had never resolved and I just didn't have the drive to push hard through the pain anymore. I had plenty of new excuses too ~ I was adjusting to a new diagnosis of insulin resistance and the combination of drastic dietary changes and medication just made me want to sleep all the time. And let's be real - needless to say - I was badly out of shape.

Even with the obstacle of a tough bike leg looming ahead in Sunday's race, I felt optimistic. I had decided to give it a go and was convinced that I had enough inner toughness to push through. I was better in tune with my body, and realized that it was my mind that limited me most of the time, not my body. In addition, I had recently received some external motivation in the form of a betting pool that challenged me to beat the odds. I always respond better to external motivation than internal, and when people bet money it motivates me to try just a little harder.

Le Tour De Canada - Part Deux - Living Large

We awoke early Thursday morning to the smell of bacon. It didn't take long for all of us to crawl out of bed and track the smell to the table where we were served fried eggs, bacon, fruit, and juice by Coach. We inhaled the breakfast and went back for seconds. Soon after breakfast, Maman and Papa showed up with multiple cups of Tim Horton's coffee to jump start everyone with caffeine. We re-packed our bags, cleaned up, and helped Coach re-load our bikes onto the back of her vehicle.

Today was going to be a big day for me - unbeknownst to most (including my family), I booked a sky-diving trip in Toronto before I left Louisiana. I was excited and eager to experience the rush. I didn't want anyone to worry so I left it on a need-to-know basis. It's always easier to ask forgiveness than to ask permission.

Coach wanted to get to the cottage in Muskoka early to prepare for our afternoon arrival, so she agreed to drop me off at Sky-Dive Toronto on the way. Once I settled in to watch my "Don't Even Think About Sueing Us If You Die" video, she excused herself and left me to check off my Bucket List item alone. I sent the necessary "I Love You" text to my husband in case I crashed into the ground with my face, and then took the obligatory thumb's up picture of myself to leave time-stamped on my iPhone to prove I was not coerced by anyone.