The Olympics

As I sit and watch the Olympics, I find myself analyzing body types, training programs, techniques and what for, not to mention the stories about individual athletes and what it took to get them here?  I was watching women's gymnastics as I once competed in this sport back in the day where dance, style, originality and creativity were a big part of the sport before they put springs under the floor exercise mat, turned the horse sideways and started tumbling on and off of it, widened the uneven parallel bars and started doing full tumbling passes on the balance beam.  Gymnasts used to be scored based on a 10 and after Nadia Cominiche scored a perfect 10, the sport took a turn and became exTreme.  Not only has the level of difficulty and danger skyrocketed, but the scores are based on how many points you included in your routine and then how you execute those points.  It is way complicated and the rules don't make sense.  And the girls who perform these extremely difficult skills still pay for any slight bobble, leg separation, and extra step with hundredths of a points separating them from each other. 

As I sit and watch athletes strive for perfection and how sports sciences have become so technical, I decided the reason I participate in sports is not to be perfect and not to win.  Only 1 person can win and if that is all you dream of, most days will be disappointing.  In triathlon, the only person that you have to beat is yourself.  You can win all the time by just making it to the start line and better yet, crossing the finish line.  Not to say, that competition is not exciting, but it is not everything.  There is room for both types of athletes in our sport, those that TRI to win and those who just TRI.  I do want to improve and get faster, but more important to me is all the positive things that I get from tri-ing such as good health, improved fitness, discipline, clarity, focus, setting and achieving a goal, and lots of good friends.  Despite being challenged by one of my cycling coaches when asked if I want to improve my skills or just be a participant, I respond to that as I want both.  I just want to be out there with the appreciation for the experience.

With that said, I still am watching the Olympics with a more watchful eye on details from uniform design, strategies, team work, and how athletes respond to the environment and the mental pressures of competition.  All these things, I am contemplating in my own life and it is nice to be able to be a part of a sport and a team again.  It takes me back to younger days as an athlete, so it is never to late and I would venture to guess, I am adding years to my life or a lot of fun times any way!

I had a quick week back in Phoenix readjusting to higher temperatures and then left again for a training weekend in Flagstaff, AZ to train in higher altitude and cooler temperatures.  It was in the 60s and 70s for our workouts and we trained on parts of an upcoming race course in the pines called the Mountain Man Triathlon.

Then I returned for another week of trying to get back to life in AZ.  There is no other way to say it, but it is just HOT, no matter how you stack it.  My coach says that heat training is just like altitude training and it will make us better athletes.  So I have been working on finding the magical formula to help my body endure the heat and even more humidity that comes with our monsoon season.  I seem to be adapting to the short workouts, but there is no reprive from the high temperatures right now.  It is getting the right mixture of electrolytes, carbs, and fluids that will fuel your muscles without creating havoc in your stomach.  This weekend, I had a brick workout bike/run and a 14 mile run.  I added 400 calories of electrolytes and carbs into my camelback with water and ice and took 2 sports beans every mile after the first hour and that seemed to keep me in a steady state.  I am also taking salt sticks which I have definitely seen a decrease in the salt covering my body and less cramping.  Now if I could make my stomach bigger to hold all the fluid and foods, that would be nice.  I feel half IM ready and will have my first crack at that in a few more weeks.

Not as though, IM training does not give you enough to think about, my husband was offered another position in the company he works for in California which will require us to relocate.  So between counting calories, carbs, miles and beats per minute, I am thinking about all the things I need to do.  The best thoughts are not having to train through another hot summer in AZ, but the worst thoughts are leaving our family, friends and especially teammates behind.  The move won't happen until some time after Ironman.  It is just another reminder to live in the moment, one step at a time.  The moment only lasts for just that and even though you train for months and will be out on the road for hours on race day, crossing the line will only be just one moment in time.

15 weeks to go.  On one hand, I feel stronger and can go longer, on the other hand, I am more tired and have moments where I question if I can go just one more mile.  This mornings long run was a great example.  I woke up at 3 am to start the rituals to go for a 4 am run.  My body felt weak and I wondered where I was going to find the strength to make it through 14 miles.  When we started, I did not think my legs would hold my body up.  We were slap happy and when I made a joke, we could barely continue as the laughter was going to knock us off our feet.  After a few miles, my legs felt connected to my body again and we seemed to get into a rhythm.  This run gave me hope and made me believe that the Ironman will be possible.  As I continue to have the Olympic coverage on and the individual stories are told, I continue to write my own story.

The suspense keeps me turning the pages, but you can't skip to the end because it is not written yet.