The big day is almost here! In just over 36 hours, I will hear my alarm go off in my Augusta hotel room. It will still be way too dark outside for my liking. I will get up (slowly and anxiously). I will stumble over to my pre-race pile that I lay out the night before. I'll chug my coconut water and energy drink. I'll force down an almond butter sandwich regardless of the fact that I'm barely awake. I will splash cold water on my face in attempt to get going as I dress in my gear. I'll stretch and hydrate, like I've done dozens of times before. I'll double and triple check everything that I will have already checked a thousand times by then. Then, with a deep breath, I'll load up the car and head to the race start.
I'll try not to think too far ahead as I lay everything out in transition. I will do my best to not stare into the river in fear. I will trust my training and know that, by this point, I will have done everything that I can. I have trained and worked hard, and the moment is almost here. After setting up my transition area, I will wait an hour and a half before hitting the Savannah River and beginning my 70.3-mile journey to the highly anticipated finish line. I'll take deep breaths. I'll stretch and relax as much as possible. I will let the anxiety go and confidently race my race.
For now, though, I am anything but cool, calm, and collected. Just looking at photos of the swim start makes me nearly want to vomit. The thought of having to wait around for 90 minutes after setting up transition before even beginning my race makes my heart pound with anxiety. I know that I'm as ready as I'm going to be. I know that I can finish this race. I think I'm mostly nervous b/c I put so much pressure on myself. I know that this is a huge deal for me just to be where I am right now, yet I can't help but set goals for myself. Granted, I think my time goals are realistic, but for my first race of this distance, it's accomplishment enough to just finish! Two years ago, I didn't think it was possible for me to ever run more than a 5k (even that was really rough at the time). The thought of combining swimming, biking, and running for more than a couple of hours seemed absurd... yet here I am, ready and willing to spend around 6 hours doing just that.
Friday, September 27, 2013
Friday, September 13, 2013
Stress: Training & Work
Stress and training... those are two things I've been working really hard to handle simultaneously for the past 6-9 months. Lord knows I've had my share of stress in that time. I have not been exactly successful in my balancing act, but it's been manageable.
Anyway, as race day approaches, only two weeks away, I find myself increasingly stressed out. The reason itself is because of what I consider unnecessary stressors. I informed people around the office of my triathlon training a long time ago, and once I signed up for the half-ironman, the announcement was made. I had kind of hoped for some support on the part of the powers that be at work. I had kind of hoped that maybe, just maybe, there would be some sort of understanding for the type of challenge I was taking on. Instead, I think everyone just thinks I'm a typical health freak or fitness junkie (I'm not... health freaks don't like beer as much as I do)!
Yet, in all the madness, I was recently assigned a project due the Thursday before my race. Ideal would have been one a week or two before the race or a week or two after... really any time other than days before the race. Even the beginning of that week would have been okay, but instead, I find myself in the most stressed out position I could be in regarding work and pre-race preparation. In the days when I should be resting up, taking care of myself, and not stressing out, I'll be loaded with expectations at work to complete a project without error... to not be distracted by anything else. As and ADHD person, I struggle every single project to not be distracted, so when you throw in something as big as an upcoming 6-hour endurance race, it's not going to be easy!
Even last year, as I recall, I had a project due at the same time as I had my first marathon - which was out of town and a mini-vacation time for me. I left town w/ my project being reviewed and returned to wrap it up. I remember having to try really hard to not think about the headache of work while I prepared to run 26.2 miles.
Not that it's entirely the same thing, but when someone chooses to get married/have a child, there are a lot of appointments and commitments that come up during the course of planning/preparing. It requires a bit of flexibility in work schedules, a bit of grace from the boss-types, essentially. Well, here I haven't been given the chance to choose marriage or a child, but I have chosen something that, during preparation, is equally (if not more, in some ways) demanding of my time and attention. However, I cannot expect flexibility with work. At the mere mention of it, I set myself up for being targeted as not caring about my job enough. We are often given projects to be due (quite possibly on purpose) right before we take vacations, which is annoying/stressful, but this race is no vacation... I'm fine w/ being stressed up until a break from work. I'm not so okay with carrying stress on my back at a time when I need to relax and rest!
So, I have been pushing through... I've done my best to work a normal schedule while maintaining a very busy training schedule outside of work hours. It's not been easy, and it has caused me a lot of stress and worry (because that's my nature). I'm not worried about training... I'm worried that those in charge at work will berate me for having chosen something other than my job as priority. Little do they know I have a lot of things that I consider higher priority than my job. My job/career is simply a means to an end and is not my life, and I'm okay with that. It pays the bills, so I do my best while there.
However, on the scale of life, it's pretty far down the line: God/church/etc, myself/my own well-being/health/etc, family/friends, my house/home/paying bills, work, and then other fun stuff... If I could use any of the higher priority things to pay bills, I would!
Anyway, all that is to say that simply my personal well-being and health have vastly improved since I began training like I do. Anybody who's known me for the past few years can attest to the fact that I have changed since I started running. Well, I found joy in this training lifestyle...I have found an outlet, and as such, I've also become motivated (something I am not so great at). I find that I'm at my best when pushing myself for new goals that I never thought I'd reach. This half-Ironman is one of those goals. So, no, it's not life or death, but to me, it is a lot more than just another race. It is huge! It is the biggest thing I have ever set out to do and actually done (well, haven't made it there yet...but I will)... for now ;)
Where I struggle is that I'm stuck in a reality where well over 99% of the world has no clue where I'm coming from. Yeah, we all have our goals and such, but this specific one may seem meaningless to many. It would've seemed so to me years ago. It's one of those things that unless you are standing in my shoes, you will have no clue my perspective, and since only 0.01% of the world does half-ironman races, chances are good that most people don't get it. Factor into that small percentage those of us who suffer unnecessarily from stress b/c of ADD, those of us who are young and single and supporting ourselves, and even the female factor is something - I think it's safe to say we're more emotional than guys, and emotions play into my worry here.
Anyway, as race day approaches, only two weeks away, I find myself increasingly stressed out. The reason itself is because of what I consider unnecessary stressors. I informed people around the office of my triathlon training a long time ago, and once I signed up for the half-ironman, the announcement was made. I had kind of hoped for some support on the part of the powers that be at work. I had kind of hoped that maybe, just maybe, there would be some sort of understanding for the type of challenge I was taking on. Instead, I think everyone just thinks I'm a typical health freak or fitness junkie (I'm not... health freaks don't like beer as much as I do)!
Yet, in all the madness, I was recently assigned a project due the Thursday before my race. Ideal would have been one a week or two before the race or a week or two after... really any time other than days before the race. Even the beginning of that week would have been okay, but instead, I find myself in the most stressed out position I could be in regarding work and pre-race preparation. In the days when I should be resting up, taking care of myself, and not stressing out, I'll be loaded with expectations at work to complete a project without error... to not be distracted by anything else. As and ADHD person, I struggle every single project to not be distracted, so when you throw in something as big as an upcoming 6-hour endurance race, it's not going to be easy!
Even last year, as I recall, I had a project due at the same time as I had my first marathon - which was out of town and a mini-vacation time for me. I left town w/ my project being reviewed and returned to wrap it up. I remember having to try really hard to not think about the headache of work while I prepared to run 26.2 miles.
Not that it's entirely the same thing, but when someone chooses to get married/have a child, there are a lot of appointments and commitments that come up during the course of planning/preparing. It requires a bit of flexibility in work schedules, a bit of grace from the boss-types, essentially. Well, here I haven't been given the chance to choose marriage or a child, but I have chosen something that, during preparation, is equally (if not more, in some ways) demanding of my time and attention. However, I cannot expect flexibility with work. At the mere mention of it, I set myself up for being targeted as not caring about my job enough. We are often given projects to be due (quite possibly on purpose) right before we take vacations, which is annoying/stressful, but this race is no vacation... I'm fine w/ being stressed up until a break from work. I'm not so okay with carrying stress on my back at a time when I need to relax and rest!
So, I have been pushing through... I've done my best to work a normal schedule while maintaining a very busy training schedule outside of work hours. It's not been easy, and it has caused me a lot of stress and worry (because that's my nature). I'm not worried about training... I'm worried that those in charge at work will berate me for having chosen something other than my job as priority. Little do they know I have a lot of things that I consider higher priority than my job. My job/career is simply a means to an end and is not my life, and I'm okay with that. It pays the bills, so I do my best while there.
However, on the scale of life, it's pretty far down the line: God/church/etc, myself/my own well-being/health/etc, family/friends, my house/home/paying bills, work, and then other fun stuff... If I could use any of the higher priority things to pay bills, I would!
Anyway, all that is to say that simply my personal well-being and health have vastly improved since I began training like I do. Anybody who's known me for the past few years can attest to the fact that I have changed since I started running. Well, I found joy in this training lifestyle...I have found an outlet, and as such, I've also become motivated (something I am not so great at). I find that I'm at my best when pushing myself for new goals that I never thought I'd reach. This half-Ironman is one of those goals. So, no, it's not life or death, but to me, it is a lot more than just another race. It is huge! It is the biggest thing I have ever set out to do and actually done (well, haven't made it there yet...but I will)... for now ;)
Where I struggle is that I'm stuck in a reality where well over 99% of the world has no clue where I'm coming from. Yeah, we all have our goals and such, but this specific one may seem meaningless to many. It would've seemed so to me years ago. It's one of those things that unless you are standing in my shoes, you will have no clue my perspective, and since only 0.01% of the world does half-ironman races, chances are good that most people don't get it. Factor into that small percentage those of us who suffer unnecessarily from stress b/c of ADD, those of us who are young and single and supporting ourselves, and even the female factor is something - I think it's safe to say we're more emotional than guys, and emotions play into my worry here.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Augusta IRONMAN 70.3
It's the final countdown... (I hope that song is in your head now, you are welcome)
As my big race day approaches (September 29th!), I thought I'd finally share with the world what's going on and how friends/family can help encourage me along this journey, if you feel so inclined. I know Augusta is a bit of a hike for most, but you can also support me from a distance too! As you can see below from my nerdy statistics below, this race is a bit of an accomplishment, especially for someone who could barely run a mile a few years ago.
.jpg)
If you are interested in live tracking (online or via mobile), let me know. I will have to give you my bib # and the link to get set up when the time comes. It'll only take a minute to get started, and you'll get updates at each split - swim, bike, and run/finish! If you happen to want to make the trek out to Augusta, let me know as well! I will be there all weekend, so carpooling may not be convenient...but I'd love to have some familiar smiling faces at the finish line!
Just for basic info, I am bib number 2494, and my swim wave begins at 8:56am. (That's nearly an hour and a half after the first wave begins... I'm sure I won't be anxious during this time at all, ha!)
IRONMAN is a race brand that is currently made up of two major distances:
The IRONMAN (the 140.6 distance race) and the IRONMAN 70.3 (also known as long distance or half-Ironman).
The average race time for the IM 70.3 is a little over 6 hours. My ideal goal, other than just to finish, is to complete it in as close to 6 hours and I can...but I know that won't be easy, so I'm just going to do my best to finish!
NFL player Hines Ward completed his IM 70.3 in just under 5 hours and 55 minutes - and this guy is not only paid to be an athlete, but he also had all the time in the world to train (unlike many of us with full time jobs).
So, that should give an idea of how long and big this race is, but just how big of a deal is it? How many crazy people actually put themselves through months and months of training only to push their body to it's physical/mental limits for hours on end? I did some googling and nerdy research, so here are the statistics. It's done based on world population b/c these are international races, so there's no easy way to distinguish US participation from the rest of the world.
Number of years 70.3 IM has been running: 7
Number of 70.3 IMs each year: 60
Number of unique participants per IM race: 1,000
This estimate comes to:
~420,000 people having completed an IRONMAN 70.3 race
~60,000 competing in this distance annually
Considering a world population of ~7,000,000,000...
At this point, the numbers hurt my brain, but as
you can see, it's not every day that someone who claimed to hate running
2 years ago takes on an IRONMAN race. So, being one of the few, I could
really use some fans on race day, even from a distance!
After countless months of pushing myself to train 6-7 days a week, and recently up to 15 hours/week for the last month, I am ready to see this madness pay off!
And if you make it to the actual race, there will be some post-race beer drinking in celebration (after I eat a ton of food and drink a gallon of water, of course)!
As my big race day approaches (September 29th!), I thought I'd finally share with the world what's going on and how friends/family can help encourage me along this journey, if you feel so inclined. I know Augusta is a bit of a hike for most, but you can also support me from a distance too! As you can see below from my nerdy statistics below, this race is a bit of an accomplishment, especially for someone who could barely run a mile a few years ago.
.jpg)
If you are interested in live tracking (online or via mobile), let me know. I will have to give you my bib # and the link to get set up when the time comes. It'll only take a minute to get started, and you'll get updates at each split - swim, bike, and run/finish! If you happen to want to make the trek out to Augusta, let me know as well! I will be there all weekend, so carpooling may not be convenient...but I'd love to have some familiar smiling faces at the finish line!
Just for basic info, I am bib number 2494, and my swim wave begins at 8:56am. (That's nearly an hour and a half after the first wave begins... I'm sure I won't be anxious during this time at all, ha!)
Here is little bit of background, goals, and nerdy statistics, just for fun!!!
IRONMAN is a race brand that is currently made up of two major distances: The IRONMAN (the 140.6 distance race) and the IRONMAN 70.3 (also known as long distance or half-Ironman).
The average race time for the IM 70.3 is a little over 6 hours. My ideal goal, other than just to finish, is to complete it in as close to 6 hours and I can...but I know that won't be easy, so I'm just going to do my best to finish!
NFL player Hines Ward completed his IM 70.3 in just under 5 hours and 55 minutes - and this guy is not only paid to be an athlete, but he also had all the time in the world to train (unlike many of us with full time jobs).
So, that should give an idea of how long and big this race is, but just how big of a deal is it? How many crazy people actually put themselves through months and months of training only to push their body to it's physical/mental limits for hours on end? I did some googling and nerdy research, so here are the statistics. It's done based on world population b/c these are international races, so there's no easy way to distinguish US participation from the rest of the world.
Number of years 70.3 IM has been running: 7Number of 70.3 IMs each year: 60
Number of unique participants per IM race: 1,000
This estimate comes to:
~420,000 people having completed an IRONMAN 70.3 race
~60,000 competing in this distance annually
Considering a world population of ~7,000,000,000...
This comes out to basically: Each year only about 0.00086% of the world's population participates in an IRONMAN 70.3 race.
About 0.006% of the world has participated in this distance since it's beginning in 2006... FYI, Chuck Norris isn't one of that small percentage!
Including both IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3, about 0.018% of the world has participated in one or the other distance.
Add into that the fact that less than 30% of participants are female, and only about 20% are ages 30-34.
Add into that the fact that less than 30% of participants are female, and only about 20% are ages 30-34.
After countless months of pushing myself to train 6-7 days a week, and recently up to 15 hours/week for the last month, I am ready to see this madness pay off!
And if you make it to the actual race, there will be some post-race beer drinking in celebration (after I eat a ton of food and drink a gallon of water, of course)!
Someone recently compared training
on this level to having a baby. You prepare yourself
mentally/physically/etc for 9 months, by the last few weeks your body is
beginning to hate you a bit and you are just ready for day to get here.
When the time comes, you spend hours pushing yourself to your
physical/mental limits to see all the preparation pay off! (I guess the big difference is that I don't have to pay for my race for the next 18 years!)
Another way to support me in my IRONMAN journey is to help me raise
funds for Operation IRONFREEDOM through the IRONMAN Foundation and the Scott Rigsby Foundation. It's a
great cause that supports wounded soldiers returning from war and their
families. To learn more about the cause or donate, click the link below!
http://ironman.kintera.org/
Thank you so much for all the support!
Another way to support me in my IRONMAN journey is to help me raise
funds for Operation IRONFREEDOM through the IRONMAN Foundation and the Scott Rigsby Foundation. It's a
great cause that supports wounded soldiers returning from war and their
families. To learn more about the cause or donate, click the link below!
http://ironman.kintera.org/
Thank you so much for all the support!
Also, you should read this guy's story! What an inspiration!
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