do i know you?

Friday ended up being quite a stressful day at work and in the midst of all the chaos, i found myself aching to just get in the water to swim. this sudden and dramatic turn of events has me a bit baffled. i mean, who goes from absolutely hating to swim - and by way of one single solitary swim lesson - changes to absolutely loving it, can't wait to do it, feels better just knowing its going to happen?! it really is such a crazy phenomenon - this swimming thing and me. its gone from "swimming? ugh, i guess if i have to..." to "swimming? hell yes, name the time and place!" i never in a million years would have ever even contemplated entering the Pacific without a wetsuit on, much less swimming an entire mile without the comfort and shark protective shield it offers in my head, but what the hell do you know? i did it on Friday. i walked my happy, excited, joyful ass down to the water, dove in and just started swimming. and the swim - oh Lord was it amazing. the water was a cool 72ish. clear. blue. perfect. i was in heaven for the 3rd time that week...


HOLY COW, who am i? i don't even know myself anymore. and that's not all. i have gone and thrown my whole self into some kind of massive conundrum in terms of what i will do and the limits i will push. case in point:

the schedule for today's workout: double brick - bike: 45/45, run: 20/20. what did i go and do? double brick - bike: 60/60, run: 30/30. yep and i didn't even tell my workout partners that i had changed it. i just told them what we were doing and then we did it. no questions asked (i am so gonna get it for admitting this one, sorry guys - but didn't it feel great?!). we did the Coronado Strand out and back. we agreed to take it at an average 15-16 miles per hour as this was supposed to be a "good workout", not a "kick you in the teeth and make you puke workout." that agreement was thrown overboard the moment i clipped in. without even pushing, in the first half mile, i was going 15 and the words "slow it down, take it easy" seemed to immediately jump ship. there is no such thing when i am on the bike. CB has made it quite clear that i am to push myself each and every time i am out there riding the wind. i have less than two months to turn myself into a half ironman and easing up on it certainly will not do. so, i heard him in my head, dropped into my big chain and pounded out a pretty decent first leg of the order. we ended up averaging about 22 going out. too bad the winds from hell's labyrinth decided to try and throw us off course on the way back. i was literally being pushed around the bike path at the most inordinate and inopportune times - like as soon as a family would ride up on us, i'd just so happen to be thrown into a gust that threatened the safety of all around me. it was a little annoying, but i kept pushing through. working out the lactic acid i could feel building in my muscles so i could transition and get the run done. first out and back - semi easy pace with a good run of 3 miles under the belt.


next up: round two and this is where i surprised myself yet again. it was 2:30 by this time. it was hot. it was windy. it was past lunch time. i was tired from being up at 4 and then helping out with the TNT time trial all morning. my knee was starting to feel a little agitated. i wanted to stop and i said so. "i do NOT want to go back out there. not in the least." everyone chimed in, like a choir of nightingales, "let's just hang out then" "me either" "let's just call it a day..." my response, "i said i didn't want to, nowhere does that mean i am not going to." and we were off again. this round was supposed to be a bit more intense. the wind had picked up significantly so the plan was to pound it on the way out and do what you could to get back - with just enough to make the run. at one point i looked down at my speed and by God's name in the Heavens the thing said 26.4 mph! i was ecstatic. we averaged about 23-24 going out and then the winds of defeat slapped us in the face the moment we switched directions and off we were again to just try and hold a decent enough pace to round out an overall average of at least 17mph. by the end, my legs were burning, my ass was sore, my knee was irritated as all get out and i was just ready to call it a day. but again, the voice in my head, "there will be days you are tired. there will be days you want to quit. there will be days and you have to be strong enough to know this journey won't do itself. so on those days, wake up and don't quit!" so i put on my flats and took off so we could get the last run in and over with. my knee was not cooperating on the run, it kept hollerin' profanities up at me so i dropped it down 2 notches from the previous run and just did a steady jog, making promises that if it just held throughout this last leg, i'd reward it with lots of ice and even more stretching (i spent a good hour and a half stretching every inch of my legs this morning before all of this nonsense started). it finally agreed and we made it through the run. in the end, we covered just under 30 miles, averaging 17.5 mph for the entire ride (hell's winds and all) on our trusty steeds and ran a total of 60 minutes, approximately 6 miles, to finish it all off.



there were so many times i just wanted to quit. to let up on the push. to ease into a higher gear. to stop and walk. but i didn't. i kept pushing the entire way. i have this new found determination, strive and dedication not only to my coach but to myself. i want to do this and i want to do this right. i want to take my self perceived limits, roll them into a ball, stuff them into a leather casing and grand slam them out of the park. i have it in me, this weekend has proven that, and now i get to take that new found freedom of no holds bar and do with it what i please. and i please swimming and loving it. i please new friendships and adventures. i please Ironman Cozumel November 29, 2009. and i please that you come along and enjoy the ride in whatever way you possibly can :)