Its Thursday. 46 hours until go time. The cold is still being a bit of a nuisance, but I feel fine. I had a great swim with Al & Dory yesterday morning. My splits were faster than normal, but with reduced effort. Let's just hope this was due to a successful taper.
My mom drove me down to the beach yesterday. We're staying in Seagrove, about 30 minutes away from Panama City. Katie will be arriving tomorrow night and I can't wait until she gets here. We don't spend much time apart and I miss her badly! Dad and Wess are coming down Saturday. I have to check-in today and attend a mandatory meeting this evening. I can't wait to get over there and experience the atmosphere.
This week has been so calm. 2 days of work, one run, one short ride, one swim, and probably another short ride today. Its been a week of reflection, mostly about the grueling training that is now complete.
Like the race, most of my training was spent on the bike and on the run, with 3 hours per week dedicated to swimming and the remaining 13-15 running and cycling. Some people prefer to train alone. I am not one of these people. 13-15 hours per week alone would be as bad as Chinese water torcher. Luckily, I have been blessed with great friends and training partners.
The Run
Nearing the end of my first marathon training schedule two years ago I started running with Colin and Julie. Having completed most of the build-up alone, I was thrilled to have people to run with. We all had the goal of running Mercedes in less than four hours, so our training paces worked well together. The first run we did together was a 20 miler. I distinctly remember getting dropped at mile 17. Julie went on to finish the marathon in under 4 hours, Colin and I did not. The three of us have continued to run together on a weekly basis, logging many hundreds of miles and completing more races. We've run through good times and bad times, through the deaths of family members and the births of children. We've improved so much as runners. Julie qualified and completed the Boston Marathon, and while Colin and I are not quite there yet, we're now well under that original four hour goal and our day in Boston is not far away. The picture above is the 3 of us running our second Mercedes Marathon together earlier this year, all well under 4 hours the 2nd time around.
The Bike
There was a strong group to ride with from March-August. Each week I looked forward to the rides with great anticipation. We pushed each other to get better, traveled to triathlons together, ate together, and drank together. It was a great season. I felt like a kid again. There was one lingering worry in the back of my head. Our last race together was in late August. I knew that as I was entering the hardest part of my Ironman training schedule, they'd all be transitioning into running season. Weekly rides during this period were between 80-100 miles, spanning 5-7 hours. Kyle had a 70.3 race in September, so I new I could count on him for a little while, but what about October. To make a long story short, Kyle is a good friend. He stayed with me for the whole deal. Together we rode through parts of Alabama I had no idea existed, up mountains I never thought would end, and got chased by dogs that looked rabid. We did the Mountain Goat Century, The Tour de Cahaba, and the Winnetaska 70 more times than I can count. I probably would have bailed on some of the long rides without the encouragement and the company.
Next year Kyle, Colin, and I are all going to do Ironman Florida together. It should be a blast, as long as I survive this year. ; )
JG
No comments:
Post a Comment