next up.. Ironman Coeur D'alene

So Ben and I decided to sign up for Ironman Couer d’alene about 2 months ago. We decided that an Ironman every other year is reasonable since it is such a sacrifice in every aspect of your life: Physically, emotionally, and financially. After taking the last year to get my body in working order again, I was eager to start training. We each took our experience from the last time round, and we each made our own training programs to suit ourselves. The funny thing is our training programs are COMPLETELY different. Not even a little bit the same. Which goes to show how those generic training programs on the internet are probably not the best approach. One major difference between out programs is that I have chosen to maintain going to Hot Vinyasa Flow yoga once a week. I went to my first hot yoga class when my chiropractor suggested it back in May, and I find myself seriously looking forwards to the class each week. If I miss a week my body feels it: my body feels tight, achy, and my asthma worsens. Hot Yoga is very addicting, and feels so good. Personally I think it has helped with my running a lot. Along with Yoga, I found my chiropractor this past year. I go once a month to get myself all aligned again, and seriously that is another aspect of my training that I think will become pivotal to my success. It’s been 2 months of base training where I’ve been working primarily on my running, with some biking and strength thrown into the mix, and I have NEVER felt so strong and so good. It is pretty exciting, and I attribute this to both Yoga and my Chiropractor.

I find that compared to the last time I started training, I have much more of a mental focus. I know how hard ironman is, I know my goals, and I know what it is going to take to achieve them. Also, Ben and I have both ditched the twice a day workout which I think definitely helps. Last time we trained for Ironman I think we just got way too burnt out in the first month and never really recovered. We learned there is a fine line between training and over-training and it is a tight rope that must be walked every day by every athlete, since normally we all just want to go out at the same intensity as the race every workout. But realistically that isn’t possible. I’ve learned rest days are important, and every training day cannot 5 km race pace. I find I have been relying on my heart rate monitor to hold me back, and I have really focused on warming up and cooling down.

I am really quite excited about this race. More excited than last Ironman where I was just SUPER nervous. I know I can do the darn thing, now I just want to do it better, and with less of a roller coaster.