This blogs for you!

I can't believe it but somehow my jiffy feet have managed to keep on rolling! And since the fact that writing my thoughts throughout all this training and racing I've taken on has proven to be very cathartic at times, I've decided to move it from Facebook notes to this blog. Part training log, part tale of a fat girl on a mission to get the monkey off my back and go further, faster and harder than I ever have before!

Its been a few weeks since Beach Blast, the Olympic Distance triathlon and if you had asked me beforehand or even a few months ago I would tell you undoubtedly that I would totally slack off on my training after that race. Especially if I had actually completed the damn thing, which I did despite Mother Nature throwing me one heck of a curve ball with rain during the ENTIRE race!

I thought I'd come home and loose my motivation but I haven't surprisingly. I don't know if its the fact that I actually completed the Oly distance or the fact that the Penscola Iron-team has convinced me to do the VERY competitive Santa Rosa sprint tri in Pensacola on October 3, but I've kept up the training only taking the Monday after the race off and sticking with Olympic distance training for the most part and not slacking back off to the easier sprint distance training. (I have my suspicions that the I-team may have slipped some mind-melding potion into the pasta sauce while we were carb-loading for Beach Blast and I've somehow maintained the training motivation!)

In fact, I've upped my running distance and with the help of a great running partner have been doing long weekend runs and knocked out 7.2 miles early Saturday morning! I'm pretty sure my hamstrings will never forgive me -- especially since there is no Monday massage this week!

Part of what gets me through is thinking about the fact that I've cleared some pretty amazing hurdles and I know I can do what once never seemed possible. It also helps to think about all the people pushing it much harder -- especially the few unbelievably amazing Iron athletes I know! I can whine and mental block myself the whole time I'm doing a fast, pace 3-miler or trudging alone doing 7 miles but then I remind myself some of my friends are running 22-miles in training...Phew! I'll take 7 thank you very much!

I guess a lot of it is the motivation comes from the people rooting you on too...and knowing that there's people out there who have more faith in me than I do in myself. Not to mention it felt pretty darn good to be out unwinding on a Friday night and having people ask why I wasn't drinking and then watch their faces as I said I had to be up at 7 to run 7! Several people said they wouldn't even be driving 7 miles today much less running!!!

I also had two very interesting conversations with two different guys who were trying to lose weight. One told me he was trying to lose 100 lbs and walks the causeway bridge (4 miles) in Tampa everyday -- his motivation -- "I don't want to have to go on that show (Biggest Loser)" he confessed to me. Another guy I recognized from the gym, which he doesn't go to anymore and said that he was 30 lbs heavier when he went there. While women talk about that stuff all the time it's rare that you'll have such dialogue with men. It made me think a couple things...Everyone is struggling with their own "monkeys." But it also gave me a little perspective on the pretty big challenge I've taken on in my own mission to lose weight and rid myself of the monkey on my back...It also makes me realize how little conversations like that -- telling each other our stories and struggles can be such a tremendous source of motivation!

So for the guy walking the causeway bridge...I hope you keep going, I know you helped me keep going during my longest run ever this morning. For the I-team in Pcola...from Andrew competing in the Augusta Ironman tomorrow to Jules and Hicks and Mike reaching the peak of their training as the November Panama City Ironman approaches and they crank out the miles weekly in preparation all the while keeping their senses of humor amidst stinky elbow pads, tape and hosed down blackberries...to Coach Murray who's helping a group of newbies complete their first triathlon...and for myself and monkey on my back who's continuing to cross the finish line with me, sometimes kicking and screaming...this blog's for you!