Skip to main content

Ten Things I have Learned on this Journey so Far

Here are some random thoughts that have crossed my mind as I continue my journey to Ironman 70.3 Augusta.

  1. Just as it takes a village to raise a child, it takes a village to develop a triathlete.  There is so much to learn about triathlons, and I am very fortunate that I have such a great village of people who are so willing to help and encourage me along the way. 
  2. It is important to enjoy this journey since no two journeys are the same.  I am having such great experiences and I am learning a lot about myself as a person and as an athlete.  Augusta will be here in due time. 
  3. When it comes to training, I have to be flexible.  Life happens and at times it will conflict with my training schedule.  I have learned to prioritize and modify my workouts when needed.
  4. Recovery is a key part of training that so many athletes choose not to do.  I diligently try to be in the bed between 8:30 pm and 9:00 pm so I can get at least 8 hours of sleep.  I wear recovery sleeves/socks after a hard running workout.  Furthermore, I am a firm believer in listening to my body.  If something feels off, I am backing off for the day.
  5. Every workout will not result in a breakthrough, but there is always something to learn. 
  6. No matter how detailed of an explanation that I give, some people will never understand why I do triathlons or why I am training for a half Ironman.  And that’s ok.  As long as I understand and I have my husband’s support, that’s all that matters.
  7. I can’t do it all.  At the beginning of this journey I was managing things fairly well, but then the duration of my workouts began to increase and more of my time was focused on training.  I had to make the hard decision and step back from activities that I truly enjoyed, but no longer had time for. 
  8. I have to trust my training and myself.  When I did the Tavern I was so nervous about the open water swim.  So nervous that I decided to have a Swim Angel to help me.  Even though my Swim Angel helped me to be comfortable in the water, I had to trust that I had put in enough time in the water to get the swim done. 
  9. I can’t compare myself to other triathletes.  Some people are more athletically gifted than others and we all have our strengths and weaknesses. 
  10. My faith is more important to me than ever.  On those days when I feel discouraged, I turn to scriptures and inspirational/gospel music to lift my spirit.  Some of my closest moments with God have been while I have been training, especially running.  I know for me to conquer Augusta it’s going to take more than just my training and athletic ability; it’s going to take He who is within me.               


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

All I Can Do is Tri

“The only failure is not to try, because putting forth the effort is success in itself.”   The Iron Nun, Sister Madonna Buder My big race, the Monticelloman Olympic Triathlon (1500 meter swim, 24 mile bike, 10k (6.2 mile run)) is less than a week away.   I am a bundle of nerves and energy.   This is supposed to be my taper week, but I know it’s going to be hard to keep still.   My plan is to work on cleaning out my closet, switching out my clothes, and begin reading the ’50 Shades of Gray’ series to keep myself preoccupied.   We’ll see how that goes. I want to say I am 100% confident about this race, but I’m not.   I am still a little concerned about the swim.   I just relearned how to swim freestyle in 10 weeks.   Things are just starting to click for me in the water.   I wish I had more time, but I don’t, my crazy train is almost at its destination.   I told my swim coach that I would do my best not to embarrass her at the rac...
3 comments
Read more

Finding My Inner Fish

I am a Pisces.   I LOVE the water!   I enjoy listening to the waves crash against the surf at Virginia Beach.   Watching the James River meander through the city relaxes me.   Swimming in the water that I love so much....that’s a different story. As a kid I learned how to survival swim.   I could swim well enough to play in the pool and at Water Country USA without drowning, but that’s about it.   Survival swimming also meant I learned how to swim with my head above the water.   Survival swimming is not something you want to do during a triathlon.   It is inefficient and will cause you to tire out very quickly. Once I got it into my head that I was going to do a sprint triathlon, I knew I had to learn how to swim correctly.   I became a community member at my local YMCA and began taking swimming lessons.   Each lesson was a struggle.   I couldn’t swim 25 meters without stopping several times.   Instead of embracing the...
3 comments
Read more

Facing My Ghost

“Each of us must confront our own fears, must come face to face with them.   How we handle our fears will determine where we go with the rest of our lives.   To experience adventure or to be limited by the fear of it.”   Judy Blume On Sunday, May 5 th , I will be returning to Lake Monticello (Charlottesville) to participate in the Monticelloman Olympic triathlon.   The first time I attempted to compete in this race, things did not go well.   I DNF’d.   I didn’t make it past the 1500 meter open water swim portion of the race.   I lost valuable time from panicking in the water and did not make the 50 minute time cut-off.   I was pulled out of the water and brought to shore.   I was embarrassed, angry and inconsolable.   Over the next couple of days after the race, I considered quitting triathlon.   I honestly thought I was not good enough to be a triathlete.   I didn’t want to face my husband, coaches, especially my swim...
3 comments
Read more