Holy smokes, really? I'm still in shock that it's almost here. It's been a bumpy month but one with some great peaks that went along with some of the valleys from my last entry. In the last month or so I've done 3 100+ mile bike rides, race distance swim (2.4miles), runs of 18-20 miles the day after my 100 mile bike rides. It hasn't been easy but it's been rewarding. Last week I turned 43!
My husband tried to get the cookie place to do the Ironman logo but they couldn't seem to wrap their minds around it for some reason so they did this Swim, Bike and Run cookie. Very cute!
I'm feeling a lot better since my last entry. Thank you so much to all that have donated (special shout out to my mystery $250 donor!!) and to Bob H who sent out a plea for donations for me but also sent me the most amazing email after he read my last update. I forwarded it out to my teammates as we've all been pretty beaten up lately. Take a look at my new training inspiration compliments of Bob:
"Holly, I just read your latest post on your fundraising page and was moved by your training toil. You're the only person I know that has ever attempted to do what you are doing. From your comments, I can feel your pain as you spend so much time training, so much time away from your family. You could call it quits; throw in the towel any time you want….but I know you won't. You are a fighter. And you are fighting for all those cancer patients who can't fight for themselves. They are with you on all of your swims, all of your rides, all of your runs. But they're not there to be a burden, but to lighten your load; to give you strength; to give you inspiration. You are their hope….not just for them, but for their friends, their family, and their loved ones. The race is long, but in the end, you will be rewarded beyond measure. You are becoming a hero for thousands. You keep going, girl, because we are all counting on you, we all believe in you, and we are all with you."
I can tell you that I've been using pieces of this email during my training this week and it has helped immensely. I'm trying to figure out how I can laminate it and take it with me on the course. Bob also became my 'B' lap for my swims this past week. I used to count laps when swimming but now have moved to the alphabet so each lap is a letter of the alphabet and during that letter lap, I think of someone or something that starts with that letter and inspires me. B is a hard lap to get, my husband's name is Brad, my daughter is Brooke so for someone else to get the 'B' lap, is pretty huge. Thanks Bob!
Yesterday was a FREEZING ride - air temp in the 30s when we got started at 8am. It was the coldest ride I've ever done. My toes hurt so much... They finally thawed out after we finished but yikes.
Today was about 800 or 900m open water swim at Mary Alice Park. We started later to try and let the air temp warm up a bit but I think it was in the 40s outside and the water was in the mid 60s. I tried to splash water on my face about 15 times and fill my wetsuit up a little with the water pre-start so I could get a little acclimated before we got going. It ended up working pretty well. The splashing on my face definitely made me get that panic-y feeling but the good news was doing that vs. just sticking my face in the water and swimming got it out of the way so when I did start, I cruised right along.
Haven't given you one of my training songs in my blog lately so here's what I've been listening to lately - it's Rush, Marathon:
It's not how fast you can go
The force goes into the flow
If you pick up the beat
You can forget about the heat
More than just survival
More than just a flash
More than just a dotted line
More than just a dash
It's a test of ultimate will
The heartbreak climb uphill
Got to pick up the pace
If you want to stay in the race
More than blind ambition
More than simple greed
More than a finish line
Must feed this burning need
In the long run...
Chorus
From first to last
The peak is never passed
Something always fires the light that gets in your eyes
One moment's high, and glory rolls on by
Like a streak of lightning
That flashes and fades in the summer sky
Your meters may overload
You can rest at the side of the road
You can miss a stride
But nobody gets a free ride
More than high performance
More than just a spark
More than just the bottom line
Or a lucky shot in the dark
In the long run...
Chorus
You can do a lot in a lifetime
If you don't burn out too fast
You can make the most of the distance
First you need endurance
First you've got to last...
Let the countdown begin, 4 weeks baby!!
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