Monday, April 25, 2011

Going long...

Well, Ironman St. George is coming fast. The work is done and now its time to rest up and taper down with shorter race specific workouts. Kind of crazy this major race is in less then 2 weeks. I feel like I just signed up for it. I will be perfectly honest, the past few weeks were Xterra focused so I feel like I fell behind a bit with the travel and Xterra racing. This weekend though I put in some big miles and feel more on track.

Coming into this year I thought it was possible to excel in both Ironman and Xterra...well, I can tell you that its not possible (unless your a total freak like some of the select few that do well in Kona and Xterra Worlds). I think you can be decent in both but not great. 70.3 and Xterra go well together for sure but not Ironman and Xterra.

I needed all the base training to get back "normal" after two years of injury but when it comes to racing the two are near impossible to manage at a high level. Xterra is my focus and part of me is bummed I have this monster race that will no doubt leave me barely able to walk for the next two stops on the Xterra Tour but I am putting all those thoughts aside and focusing on St. George. I can't have any outs or seeds of doubt on the day. So, it's go time and I feel ready. I have done the work, I feel strong physically and mentally, and I am honestly excited for the challenge. There are certainly questions in my mind like how my body will respond, is my nutrition right, etc but when I look back on what I have done over the last 6 months I really think its just another day similar to the countless days I have already logged. While I haven't ever done an Ironman I think my years of experience are invaluable...I know myself and how to "problem solve," which for Ironman is key.

It is going to be a crazy 4 weeks. I am off to wildflower to man my Skinfit booth, then right after I am off to St. George for a week, then to Santa Cruz for the next Xterra Tour race, and then on to Alabama for the 4th stop on the Xterra Tour. Makes me tired typing it but it will no doubt be a fun adventure! I lived a privileged life! Gotta get back to packing!

2 comments:

jameson said...

stoked i was part of the training and prep.... can't wait to see what you do in LESS THAN 2 WEEKS!

Ryan D said...

You do live a privileged life!

GO CRUSH SOME DREAMS!!!

We'll all be watching!