I got on my bike today!!!

It's been 49 days since I rode my bike. Even went I went to Africa to hike up Mt. Kilimanjaro, I don't think I took 49 days off from riding.  But, this break was necessary...

Shortly after registering for Ironman New Zealand, I got hurt and then slogged my way through Vineman 70.3 (see Vineman Prep and Vineman Race Report). So I decided to listen to my coach and shut it down. No running and no biking until September. I worked on my swim, I did yoga, I hiked, I did a lot of mobility exercises and skipping. I sat on a LaCrosse ball..... My legs got squishy and un-muscle-y, but my injured leg started feeling better and I saw light at the end of the (injured) tunnel.

So with 24 weeks until race day, I survived my 1st "return to ironman training" weekend. Go Me!!! Saturday I did a 1-1/2 hour hike / jog (I ran 10 minutes in a row, yo!!) with the hubby, then we sweated it out with a fat-busting strength session at the gym. Today I got on my bike. I managed 2 hours, 30 miles, 1500' climbing. Yes, it took two hours to go 30 miles, but I survived. My legs remembered how to ride and the conversation in my head (don't you have a conversation in your head when you ride alone??) went something like this:  Me: "Legs - I'll make you strong again...I'll foam roll you every day, find a massage therapist and eat properly. I'll do my functional strength training exercises and mobility exercises... all you have to do are the workouts I tell you to (no quitting when the interval workouts get "hard") and stay injury-free. OK???" Legs: We can't talk. Me: "I'll take your silence as an agreement."



I also took time off so that I wouldn't get burnt out on training. In my first two ironmans, I trained nearly a year for each one and was burnt out oh about 3 months before the race. Re: I had multiple mental breakdowns...My 3rd ironman, I had a

much shorter training period, but also had my best IM race to date (might also have something to do with the bike course not being so hellishly hard..).

The 4th race, my training volume decreased, but the intensity shot through the roof and I was ready to tear it up... Unfortunately I did not finish and I'm not re-capping that here :).


As I throw myself into training for the 5th race,  I have a new sense of wisdom (hello turning 40!) and sense of self and purpose. And I am supported by the most amazing husband a person could ever have and I look forward to training for this race not for any specific time goal, but for the continued path of self discovery.

Cheers and keep riding!
xo