Taper Time..

Oh yea...'tis the season to be rested!! I can already feel the energy shifting in my body as after our 4000 yd swim yesterday I felt like I could keep going! That is a good thing.

We decided to bag the Tempe 2.4 mile swim this weekend. They changed the course to a 2 loop version which doesn't even really resemble the IMAZ course. When I emailed the director of the Swim and asked him about it, he was not so nice but did give us a refund. H's sister is coming into town on Sunday anyway, for the big meeting with my mother-in-law's doctor on Monday so this will give us more family time anyway. We are hoping for some sort of plan of attack on my MIL's condition where we can all be on the same page and at least know what to expect if it gets bad or plan some kind of treatment to reduce her symptoms. It is funny being an ex-nurse. I know enough to be afraid of the months to come yet close enough to the situation to have a sense of denial about the whole thing..

We are playing the great balancing act of keeping going with life as usual but knowing the other shoe could drop at any time. "The Perfect Storm"as H calls it. IMAZ 2 weeks away, baby Hadley coming in about 2 weeks and H's mom slowly heading for a health crisis..We have only control over what we can control, which is very little in this situation. I can control the outcome of IMAZ..that is about it..I can control how I react to any given situation..When I think about it, much of life is really out of my control after all..

Today is rest day..I plan on pampering myself with a pedicure, maybe a massage, errands, laundry, preparing for company..Things could change on a dime. I have learned to roll more with the punches over the years. Something life has taught me. I can make plans but they may change, just like in an Ironman really. Ironman is a metaphor for life when I think about it. Shit happens you don't expect, you adjust, you have ups and downs..Sometimes it takes you out of the race. You adjust your thinking on this race of life as you need to. You decide how to react, you breathe through the hard parts, are exhilarated when you excel. You see friends along the way who are suffering too and this inspires you. You call upon your deceased loved ones, God, the angels, anything that helps you get by.You have cheerleaders on the sidelines that spur you on..Then..at the end..you cross the finish line and the reward was in the journey..

Just made up my mind..

As I was busy bitching and moaning about taper, can't wait to rest after IMAZ, etc., we got a pep talk from Eric yesterday as we had our swim lesson. He talked about how building for a race was just as much mental as physical. This is not a time to let down mentally, it is a time to focus, focus, focus. Time to start visualizing the race, each part while training. Kind of a Zen thing..Time to see yourself in each leg, doing well, doing your best, leaving nothing behind. At mile 6 of the marathon, then you think about "the rest period". Just get through that last 6 miles and we are done..It was very inspiring really.

I have had such good teachers in my journey for IM. My first coach, Mark Mico, taught me that my body really could reach new limits...I can run fast! I also read about "The One Thing" somwhere along the way..This has helped me in both IM's I have done...and will push me in this one as well. My friend MG who trained with me for my first IM in 2004. Neither of us knew what to expect but his positive influence inspired me at every long ride we did together.. my friend Mark, who came back from some pretty sucky circumstances to complete an IM a couple of years later..Many other NM Outlaws I have trained with along the way are a constant source of positivity and strength..

My husband Hartley is my biggest cheerleader. He started by begrudgingly hanging out for IMFL training, got to do almost all the workouts I did for IMCDA and here he is, training for his first IM, IMAZ. How did he get there? By hanging out with crazy me mostly. Then he met my crazy tri friends and he was hooked. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em! I am so proud of him, can't wait to see him cross the IMAZ finish line..here he is, 61 years old and competing in his first IM triathlon. So next time you think you can't, think of him. This was a guy who could not even ride a bike 4 years ago, or swim..So no excuses for anyone..

My new mental attitude is my choice. I choose to continue to train my mind, my emotions for the big day. There is no reason right now that I cannot have a PR and finish respectably in my age group. I am fit, in the best shape ever and expect to do well..

That..it my One Thing..