The suck line

I listened to a great podcast put out by Endrance Nation on Friday (while at work....and on the way home) about 4 keys to finishing an Ironman strong.  The 4 main points were:

1) Race Day is about execution not fitness
     Apply the fitness that you bring to the race
     See your race as a video game.  You control you.

2)  Execcute 100%
      The goal for the first 2/3's of the race is to set up your run
      Nothing before mile 18 of the run matters
      The "suck line" will come....guarenteed.  The decision you make will either move the suck line closer to you or further away (goal is 'further')

3)  Dealing with the suck line with your box
      Urgency vs. Importance  -  your race is important.  Act out of importance not urgency
       This is your box.  You control what's in that box (fitness, nutrition, planning).  Stay in your box

4)   Why are you here (mantra)
       When the line hits, what will you do to keep going.
       Why are you here?  Why are you doing this race?  Why did you sign up
       This will keep you going until the end.  Don't pull this out until necessary



So....on Saturday....went to bed (well....fell asleep on the couch) around 8:30pm.  I moved to the bedroom around midnight.  Alarm set for 4:30a - check.  Alarm goes off at 4:30a - Check.  Snooze and sleep more becuase all I have is a 10 mile run.  Wake up and it's light outside.  Wait, what?  Snooze lasted a little longer that I thought.  Check the time......10:30am.  W.T.F???? 

As it's a little to late to start the run, I decide that I'll run tonight.  Fast forward to 8p (after drinking nothing but soda all day and eating like crap, I start out on my run.  Immediatly my heart rate jacks way up.  At mile .4 (yes.... *point 4*) I throw up in a neighbors yard.  This run is done. 

Go home, shower, go to bed......

4am alarm - check......alarm goes off.....next thing I know it's 5:30am.  Whew....day is not shot.  I get on the bike and start to go, go, go.  I got in 4:40 on the bike (which I figure is about 78 miles).  I then do a 7 minute "transition" and head out for my run.  I got thru 5.25 miles in a pretty qucik 57 minutes.  I was cooked......completly done.....

While I was happy with my distance (a breakout)....i got a little nervous.  How am I going to get thru 2 more hours on the bike....and 21 more miles on the run???? 

Here's to hoping that adrenaline and the crowd get me there!  
 

Doin' Work......DIY Style

Saturday and Sunday were supposed to be 10 miles running and 30 miles bike (or 2 hours).  I managed to get an hour trainer ride and no running (but a good amount of walking) in.  I also got 800 crunches to add to the slow gowing total of crunches that I'm supposed to get.  1/3 of the way done and I'm only at 1750.  Crank it up or I've got crow to eat.

On Saturday, the weather was horrible.  Misty, very windy (20mph with gust up to 30mph) and cold.  It slighty warmed up but the majority of the weather stayed the same.  We had a birthday party to go to that night so I thought....I'll get my ride and a little run in on Sunday.

Well....I forgot that the Krewe De Barkus was on Sunday.  We left our house around 11:45 and got home about 3:30 (in between that time was lunch, a dog parade and expo, and a Guinness).  When I got home, I decided that I was tired of looking at the back yard and made a flower bed.  I got one section of trim to show Annie.....and since she liked it, I went back to get the 2 additional sections.  I passed the "ceder stain" on the way to check out and thought....Imma do that.  Uggh....while it looks good, stain is like painting with water colors.  So....I painted a few of the trim pickets and I painted my box garden (which I'm so pumped about planting things shortly.

Tonight is a scheduled off day, but I really should put in some work tonight....probably the long bike again....I'll get in 1:45 - 2 hours.  Then some crunches until I can't breathe.......



Total Crunches (thru 9/10): 1750