Ironman Texas Block ".5" - The Hamster Dance

It's officially 2023!!  I hope everyone had a fantastic New Year's and is on to the pursuit of great things.  Over in my little corner of the world, it's been a ride (pun intended) since January 1 - and lots has been happening, both in the world of training and outside of it.

This particular post is all about the former, though (which, of course, brings in more elements of the latter!)  Last time I updated, it was about time to kick off training for Ironman Texas - which is April 22, 2023. Big dreams here baby!! I devised an 18-week training plan that involved four "4 week blocks" and then a two week taper to land me to race day.  I went through quite a bit of back and forth about whether to use a coach or fly solo, and for many reasons, opted for the latter - recognizing my insane schedule, my relative success in 2022, and the fact that I had an entire Ironman plan mapped out from 2022 that included notes and suggestions - so it seemed like a good route to go.  With my mind at ease, I took the last 18 weeks leading up to Iowa that I wrote last year, tweaked block one for speed (run and bike faster, swim slower), and hit GO on December 19. LET's DO THIS THING!

Or not.

Oh, I amuse myself sometimes.  I like to think of myself as a reasonably intelligent person (yep, I know you laughed - fair) but I can do some pretty dumb shit (you're shocked - I know)

.  The first two weeks of the plan were a giant bust - they fell right during the holidays, which were incredibly tough this year, the pool was closed a lot, and even though I got every workout in I had the sense, both mentally and physically that I was going nowhere fast. I was on the struggle bus (for posterity, that is literally the best swimsuit I have ever owned) It sucked.  I was struggling with the concept of my "why" which is the VERY worst thing that can happen to you as an athlete - once your brain starts questioning a pursuit that is extremely physically demanding, your body follows suit.

What was it?  Burn Out?  A Bad plan?  Life?  I had no idea. But I knew that I had to fix it, and fix it quick if I wanted to do anything with 140.6.  I stepped back at the end of December and really looked at a lot of things in my life and asked myself honestly what I wanted for 2023.  And because I was really in a really bad spot with all of it, I admittedly went into the new year and was absolutely no better than the shit show that was December.  I was lost and it was showing everywhere.  I was the proverbial hamster - running on a wheel, going nowhere fast, and as a person that everyone looks to FOR the answer, was painfully aware that I didn't have anyone to ask.

But its funny how life works out.  When you least expect it, and sometimes from the people you would never expect it, your course can change...with some really special angels that stepped in to rescue me from my own self.  And thankfully, a little more than two weeks into the plan, a few key things happened:

I got myself a coach. Purely by accident, which is usually how the best things happen in my life, TBH.  "I wasn't expecting...." is a key phrase of mine and usually leads me to all the right places.  I'm a pretty lucky person - I have a friend helping me out who's cutting his teeth on coaching and knows his stuff

really really well.  We started working together a week and a half ago, and I'm already loving it.  Right now I'm his "hamster" because we decided being a guinea pig was just wrong - he's writing the weeks, I have zero to think about, and I just execute.  

The plan is based on HR for the run and bike, and while there is so much in every workout I'm not used to, it's been pretty eye opening to work with this format, and thankfully this guy gets my life AND my humor- even if we have dubbed him "Mean Guy" (his idea) for pretty much everything...my sarcasm, when I whine about a recovery run, forcing me to run by time (ugh) or an odd number of miles (double ugh) or when I blame my swim set screw up on the hot boys in speedos I was distracted by at the pool (ya know, theoretically). 

Number two - I started running with some pretty key people again.  Last fall, I was adopted by a few amazing runners - my neighbor and friend Laura, who is not only fast as hell but hilarious and genuinely an amazing person who only wants the best for me, and my other speedy friend, Dumpster Fire Dave (self named, of course).  They helped me BQ in Philly, and in the past two weeks have rescued me from myself - whether its some tough love I needed personally, a string of ridiculous hills to make me stronger, or a rash of four-letter words and Instagram reels to make me laugh on a shitty day- it's been so needed.  The training is fun.  It's productive.  And since I usually follow them,

they pick routes where I have no idea where we are going - what the hills look like, the distance, anything.  But rather than freaking out, I trust the people in front of me and tailor the effort to match theirs.  And somehow, I land right back where I need to - my running has been on point, and I feel strong, I feel good.  Mean dude added a bike before my long runs, which is also new, but has been helping - again - the notion of someone watching out for you has been the key here. I don't have to figure it all out on my own anymore - and I have people in my corner!

Lastly, I went back to my 2019 roots and joined the Y again.  There were many reasons for this one, mostly due to the imited WAC schedule and the kids joining lessons, so it was a no brainer.  I'm loving being back at the Y - I can drop the kids off and swim, then swim with them.  There's a hot tub.  One of my buddies is a lifeguard and our schedules aligned.  And FINALLY, after months of persuasion, I've gotten to regularly join my friend Bear on her 5am swims - which I thought were nuts but have turned out to be amazing in so many ways.  She's another one that's been a happy new influence on 2023 training, which rocks.  And of course, the hot boys in speedos don't hurt either - even if I can't catch them and they mess up my set when I get distracted by the cuteness try to race them.  Some things never change. And that's just fine by me!

On my last long fun with DF Dave, at mile 14 we came across....a train.  And we laughed.  Because its me. And then....a minute later, another train crossed going the opposite way.  And in between my giggles and the fact that we could see our finish line right on the other side of the two trains, I realized that maybe this double train was somehow a weird metaphor - with the trains of 2022 and the mess that 2023 had been for the first few days, maybe this meant that all the trains were out of the way.

Or maybe they aren't, and it was just a funny coincidence that we can finally laugh at and move the hell on.  Even if they aren't, going into week two of this new phase of 2023 has me back right where I need to be at last - excited, happy, and looking forward to all of it.  I think....I finally have me back.  And even though that came with help from people I never expected it to, I'm so grateful.  The journey really is full of twists and turns, isn't it?  But I fully believe the best is yet to come!