Fear

     While I was on my bike for my last long ride Saturday and since I have been training without music for the last week (trying to do every couple of workouts without music since Ironman frowns upon Music for safety) During a 2 hour no music ride my mind wonders....Lets start off that I push myself to extremes as shown in past blogs. I'm not sure 100% why but I do know it has to do with FEAR. I have a huge fear of failing in most things I try that's why I workout so hard and do things that people think are crazy.  During my bike ride I started worrying about my up coming tri, OK I was really only worrying about the swim portion I know as long as I make it to my bike I will drag myself to the finish but 1st I have to make it past the swim. Yes I've been doing swim workouts the last month but I really have only been swimming a few months which only equals about 15-20 swim workouts and some of those were spent on getting some kind of form. So I'm as new as you can get. So while I was on the bike I came up with a plan and tonight (Tuesday) that plan goes into effect. I'm going to go home and around 7 pm I'm going to run a hard 10 k then go swim a mile, then tomorrow I'm going to ride a hard 15 miles then swim a mile. I figure if I can swim a mile after my body has been pushed and is tired then after a few days rest I should mentally be ready for a swim with a fresh body. Yes I know my body can make the distance, it's just some stupid fear hanging around because I remember how hard the Ironman Kansas swim was.

Sorry...This isn't an actual blog post This was just a thought that I wanted to share since who ever has been reading this blog is in some part a part of my journey and so I want to give some insight as to how my mind is working.


As I do before any race I'm asking anyone reading this.... If you pray, Please pray for me and lets see what I can do... Feel free to leave any questions and/or comments I could use them.... Thanks

Another Week Another Test

     I am in the roughest part of my Tri workout season due to Having my last Tri (Lawrence Tri) of the season on July 21st and after Ironman Kansas I'm not blind to my weaknesses (Swimming) so I have chosen to spend a lot of time in the pool. As an example I have 13 days til Race day and I have 7 swim workouts scheduled and currently my swim clothes are kept in my car in case I get a chance to take a long lunch and can squeeze in a quick swim. And all that is on top of my normal Bike/Run workouts. I'm putting in about 100-150 miles of training a week and am looking forward to taking apart my season and figuring out where I can get better for next season. My goal is a sub 5 hour Ironman (70.3) next season.
     I am also looking forward to Marathon training. Mostly because I have become a runner and so its the discipline (Swim/Bike/RUN) that I enjoy the most. I have never run anything longer then a half marathon and am liking the idea of going back to the basics and just pushing my legs to their limit. I am also reaching out to a few friends, ex coaches, strangers that I see running, and trying to tap into their secrets because I would like to run a sub 3:30 1st marathon and eventually a sub 3:00 at some point but I need help since right now I'm somewhere around 4 hours.

A few cool things that have been going on...

SLS3 (My sponsor, so yes I'm showing a little favoritism) Sent out a news letter to all their blog subscribers and this is what the email looked like.

They used a picture of my oldest son and I from Ironman Kansas which I think is cool

Also on their website the athlete section is under construction so they have a link to a YouTube video picture slide show of some of their athletes and the last picture on the video is me (superman style). http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=MiZPrX5tM4U

I have found out that I do not like knowing my weakness, I like being blissfully ignorant to what I can't master but now that I know what they are I will do everything possible in the off season to correct them. And in of itself is my Journey and ANOTHER TEST.

To all the swimmers out there You people are Beasts and I mean that in the most jealous of ways. But know this by next season swimming won't be my Kryptonite.