How do you have time for that?

This is something I often get asked when I tell people that I'm training with

my husband for an Ironman.

Well, to start with, we don't have cable.  This frees up 28.8 hours/week and a quarter

of our waking hours - yes, the statistics for the average Canadian are THAT high.

On top of that, I would say it has required a lot of teamwork, early mornings, runs while Adam is home to watch the kids at lunch, time at the gym, help from extended family and strategies like THIS:

Once a week I make lots of honey and butter (or other non-peanut variety) sandwiches and use these for my kid's breakfast at the gym.  I pop two of these into containers, along with some fruit and VOILA...breakfast.  That way, we can just wake up and head out to the gym.  No rushing, nagging, whining etc...and then I'm done my workout with plenty of time to spend enjoying the rest of the day with my kids.   I know, it's a little weird but it works for me!   

Next time I'll try to bring my camera

Adam snapped this picture of me before I headed out on my four hour (116 km) bike ride last Saturday.  I left from High River (after our church ward campout) and biked west towards the mountains and then north through Millarville and Turner Valley.  The scenery was gorgeous - you know, it's so much easier to appreciate the beauty from a bike, than it is from inside a car. I feel really lucky to live close to such pretty landscapes. The roads were quiet and peaceful, the weather was perfect and I was in bike riding paradise.  I'll try to bring a camera on my next scenic long ride....which will hopefully be this Saturday, as I have a five hour ride scheduled.  I'm hoping for a warm September!

I guess I won't be taking drugs.

Lots of triathletes take pain relievers (like Tylenol) during races.  In theory it can help you race better because then you don't feel the aches and pains quite so much.

It can help dull the pain of sitting on this for six to eight hours :

Besides saddle soreness there are plenty of other discomforts to deal with on the bike: foot pain and numbness (from the repeated pressure on the cleat), neck pain (from looking ahead while in aero position), shoulder and elbow soreness (from leaning forward on the elbow pads) and of course  muscle and joint fatigue in the legs.  

So, I was considering taking tylenol during the race and had started experimenting with it during training.  I checked with my coach to get his opinion on the matter and here is his response:

"Let me put it this way, if you need pain reliever you better not be doing the race. I don`t like that stuff at all. Train to get your body in shape and you don`t need the sh**."

All right then.  Looks like I won't be taking drugs after all.  

Two Weekend Dates

What's your idea of a great date?  I think it should involve doing something you both love to do....whatever that may be.  Friday night we had a "swimming date" where we tried to help each other with swim technique (I still need a lot of help).  Then, Adam's mom watched our kids Saturday morning so we could do our training bike ride together.  This is a rare pleasure, since most of my Saturday rides have been solitary.  Saturday is always the long ride of the week but because this is rest week, it was only 2.5 hours and about 70km. Highlights of the ride were flying down the hill into Cochrane at over 60 km/hour and near the end of the ride when me and Adam decided to catch the cycling group in front of us. I know the training is working, simply by the fact that I now view a 2.5 hour ride as a short, easy ride.  This was not the case 3 months ago.  Three months into training and only three more months to go.....

Why blog??

I'll be honest.  I haven't been a big fan of blogs.  They can be so narcissistic and I've often viewed them as the perfect platform to brag, compare and feel awful about yourself because everyone else's life just seems so much more exciting than your own when you read about it in a blog.  I haven't wanted to live my life in "script mode" where I was constantly thinking about how my daily experiences could be packaged up into blog perfection.  I thought that would detract from just living and enjoying my life.  For these reasons I have avoided writing and reading blogs.  

Until now I guess.  So WHY BLOG NOW??

• To share this ironman journey with friends and family. Doing an ironman is not just about the race.  It's about all the training that prepares you to be able to race.  Adam likes to call the race a "victory lap". 
• To inspire others to set goals and go for them.  Should everyone do an ironman?  No, of course not....choose something that inspires YOU.  It's different for everyone.  
• To journal and record this experience.  
• To get some encouragement along the way....hint hint....feel free to make comments :)