The Happy Turtle's Journey to the Start: An Ironman Tale

For those of you that believe that you have to be sleek, slim, cut and fast to be an Ironman, think again! Some of our bodies just don’t fit that mold but we have the guts to set our intention, make a plan and see it to the end. In my heart, I believe that turtles CAN fly! The turtle society is not just challenged by fitness, but by the time limits imposed by race companies insisting we keep up with the status quo so they can get to the bars before last call. Well, I suppose there has to be a cut off or us turtles might be out there for days enjoying the sun on our backs. Some stare at the turtles on the course wondering why it even embarks on such a journey and what purpose it has. It is old, weathered, wrinkled, and slow no matter how you twist it. I just know that you can train a turtle and the turtle might teach you a thing or two along the way. We are old and wise and we have a shell that cannot be broken. We want a taste of victory just like our other friends. I cannot find another creature that I am most like. Join me on my journey from start to end to help the Happy Turtle win again!

Sunday, January 22, 2012

I stand corrected....now it is 43 weeks until Ironman

Well, somehow I miscounted what week it was last Sunday and today it is officially 43 weeks until AZ Ironman 2012.  That is 43 weeks or 301 days or 7224 hours or 433, 440 minutes or 26006400 seconds...however you want to look at it.  43 more weeks to get ready, 43 more weeks to wait, 43 more weeks to drop weight, eat better, get more toned, get stronger, faster, fitter.

I attended 4 group workouts on week 1 with my new team.  The people are great and just waiting on my official training schedule.  This is the beginning of obsessive thinking, questioning every piece of scientific data an amateur athlete can collect like what type of clothing to wear, what nutrition to take, how to stay hydrated, how to treat tight muscles, and how to prevent injuries.

What I learned this week is I am not as good of a swimmer as I thought....And changing your technique after 40 some years is not an easy task to do.  I thought this was going to be my easy event that I would just zoom through the water with grace and dignity.  Well, think again.  Turtles get to where they want to go, nobody ever said it was going to look pretty.

My right calf tightened up during a run on Thursday night, so it is tug o war with the gatroc-soleus (fancy name for calf muscle).  The is a past problem I have batteled with and thought was related to my degenerating disk in my low back, but my coach believes it is a muscle imbalance.  Let's hope she is correct and stretching and strengthening more intensely resolve this problem, otherwise it is going to be a LONG 26 miles at the end of my race.

Oh and the bike, I did find a few riders that were close to my speed, but remember the turtle only goes one speed and that is SLOW.  Let's see if Racelab can train a turtle to move faster.  Mmmm, maybe the modern turtles have a special diet that will make them faster.

So there you have it, week 1, getting my feet wet and starting to work on technique and speed.  My coach i sick so wishing her a speedy recovery so she can start working on making me speedier!
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1 comment:

  1. donnaJanuary 27, 2012 at 9:41 AM

    That made me laugh..."the turtle only has one speed"....hehehe...but the good thing about the turtle is that slow and steady wins the race. OK...well maybe not wins, but gets you to the finish line. Yay for the turtle. Looking forward to following your training Beth...and yes...IMAZ is my first IM...Is this your first one too?

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