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, June 23, 2013

Lazy Days

Today was just one of those days.  My mind wanted to join my husband on a ride up Mount Diablo, but my body kept sending me little reminders that it really did not have much gas left in the tank.  This week was spent mostly doing workouts and being lazy.  Sounds like a conundrum (noun: a confusing and difficult problem or question; a question asked for amusement, typically one with a pun in its answer, a riddle).

I don't think I got as many workouts in as I hoped but I was trying to prepare for some of the conditions I will meet during my race at Vineman such as hills and heat and a few different combinations of brick workouts.  I intended on a 70 mile long ride this weekend, but I had a gal from the local tri club take me out on a ride on Friday and it turned into a 52 mile ride.  I was going to join the group ride the next day, but did not want to miss out on the family fun, so I just did a long run on Saturday and counted the ride on Friday as my long ride.  It was a great route through some rural farm land with windy, hilly roads and brown hills.

We spent another tourist day in San Francisco after a 2.5 hour run.  We packed up our bikes and found a parking spot on top of a hill overlooking the bay.  We had to ride our bikes down 3 steep hills to get to Golden Gate Park and we cruised around sight seeing for 10 miles.  We happened to find a Bicycle Music Festival going on in the park with a bike powered stage, meaning about 20 people were pedaling on bikes to provide power for the speakers and equipment.  The park was filled with cyclists and people just passing by, but it was too cool to pass up so we stopped by for a listen.  We made it back to the car after climbing up a steep curvy hill along the water.  My son managed to make it up on his bulky mountain bike (he is a natural born climber like his daddy!).  Then, we decided to head out over the Golden Gate Bridge to Muir Wood.  We found a little restaurant called Cafe del Soul for a healthy bite and then headed to Muir Wood to walk through a Redwood Grove.  The problem with sight seeing after a few days of hard workouts is your body starts fading fast and the aches in your legs and feet take some of the pleasure away from the beauty.  Besides feeling like we were standing inside of a fairy tale, there were too many people reading the same book!  We enjoy the sights, took some pictures, saw a big owl and dear, and drove back to Walnut Creek.

AND THAT LEADS to SUNDAY......Lazy Day for me.  My body is screaming ENOUGH!  I listened.  I feel like a woman suffering from post workout depression eating lots of sweets in my pajamas in front of the LIVE STREAM of IRONMAN Couer d'Alene all day long.  Today I have been following my best blog buddy Donna, who I met last year while training for Ironman.  We were both training for our first Ironman in AZ.  She was my most faithful follower and read every word of my blog and always send some words of encouragement.  As we were sharing the journey toward our first Ironman, Donna was sidelined with an injury and did not make it to AZ.  Today she came back with a vengence and completed her first IRONMAN, a bigger and badder IM at Couer d'Alene.  Congrats Donna.  So proud of your persistence of not letting a little injury get you down and being patient and smart to get to the start and finish of your first IM.  May we rock it together some day!

Once again IRONMAN brings people together.  Today I saw jerseys representing people and teams I know in AZ, WA, and CA.  The more I travel, the more people I meet and share this crazy way of life with.  Even if Sunday is a lazy day once in a while, the road is always waiting for your return and no matter where you are, you can take it on alone or with friends and acquaintances you meet along the way.



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