TAKING CHANCES WHILE COMING BACK STRONGER

I have to admit that being a professional triathlete isn’t a walk in the park or an easy day at the office. I did an interview for a project with one of the students I coach on the University of Oregon Triathlon Club about… how my day at the office isn’t an office. It’s not confined, predictable, task-listed, chair work. It’s the world, the roads, the pool, the trainer, the track it’s everywhere. And the ability to adapt to all you’re exposed to is a never-ending challenge.

I can honestly say that I have never had so many difficulties during training in training for Ironman Florida. My back hurting so bad I couldn’t sit, sleep or stand, my hamstrings being so tight I could barely walk, tingling in my legs while I run and loosing complete sensation, collapsing before the finish line of a 70.3 before half-consciously stumbling through to 3rd, getting really bad peroneal tendinitis in my feet, yada yada yada- yeah, it was a crap-load of stuff thrown at me. In hindsight, I’m actually happy that each and every single extremely annoying nuance happened. They have all been very important lessons learned- the hard way.

For a girl who never had injuries, this training season proved to me the complete opposite. My body was rebelling. My surgeon after my hamstring reattachment surgery did tell me, your hamstrings won’t tear or bother you- it's going to be other obstacles you'll have to overcome due to the deterioration of your legs after not walking for a couple months. Well, it’s been a waterfall of constant nagging injuries. But that’s what makes me human. It’s taught me to be patient in life more than anyone or anything could ever do. It’s also made me tougher than nails.

So when I entered my final couple big load training weeks leading up to the Ironman, something happened. Something good happened. The body became resilient. I had demolished all of my ongoing injuries. Everything felt amazing. Everything clicked. I’ve had the best workouts of my life; swimming, biking and running. I felt pliable, strong, happy and most importantly, I hadn’t given up during those really hard days at the office or workouts that were just a plan crap-shoot. I had the perserverance to continue to trust my instincts. I had finally achieved my body’s zen by balancing the fine line of pushing through and listening to what my body needed to get there. I also had a huge recovery and body treatment push where I spend a good 1-2 hours a day doing various recovery therapies that I’m going to post in a soon future blog.

A friend described to me that as a professional triathlete there will be “dark days” and the key is to embrace those by learning from them. The days that I went through leading to this upcoming Ironman had many of these, but in the end, all of my training fell into place. It has challenged me physically, mentally and emotionally at times. It has also made me grow physically, mentally and emotionally. Each preparation for an Ironman you figure out more about yourself. This one has definitely been the most challenging, but most rewarding to see the outcome of my fitness and mental willpower.

But the Ironman Florida will be a good symbol of not just a race, but also the fact that I’m on the start line, healthier and fitter than ever. Good things are possible. I’m going to stick to my plan, and let it rock!