Thankfully, we're still whole.
And actually, we did some things that helped us regain the love for Ironman training, a love that had been waning because of these intensely long workouts.
We found some more support crew, and I did something that I believe every adult athlete should do sometime. I went home.
I had a long run planned, and nary a sitter was found (that darn marching band has stolen our best sitters). So I went home. Mom watched our three little minions, and I ran through neighborhood of vast, gravel and ill-used asphalt roads banked by lush corn and soybean fields. It was like running through heaven. More importantly, though, it revived this tired girl's soul. There's something really unique, interesting, and empowering about running through an area with so many memories only seen through a vehicle window before. The slow pace of running compared to driving the same roads allows for more memories to be savored. Yep, it definitely lifted my spirits and sparked a love for running I haven't felt in a very long time.
So, the lessons? We learned a few this week. Varying locations for long workouts makes them a whole lot more interesting. Also, ask for help and take it when offered. I came home from the family farm with three happy, dirty children (thanks to a fun time at Grandma and Grandpa's house), a revived spirit, and the equivalent of eleven frozen meals for the family thanks to my (awesome) mom. These little treats will save me oodles of stress in the final weeks of IM Training.
Jason's training went well also, with a successful (but painful) post-work long run Thursday night (which he had to finish on the treadmill once the sun went down), and some fun riding the following day. I have a feeling he won't be completing anymore of those post-work long runs. The days are shortening here, which means more workouts inside on week days. But that's alright. We only have four weeks left.
We both can't help but think of one thing as we finish up the final weeks of training and look ahead to IMChoo: what will we do with ourselves once this journey has ended? This thought lingers. I especially wonder about workouts and how to do them post-Ironman. I mean, when something that was once your entire workout (like 20 laps in the pool) has become your warm-up, do you go back to it? We've imagined spending Sunday afternoons twiddling our thumbs, playing with kids, and continuing to make memories after September 28. I picture fun runs or exploratory bike rides versus don't-forget-to-eat-every-so-many-minutes kinds of rides. Regardless of what post-IMChoo looks like, one thing is for sure (as I paraphrase our trainer): we will never be the same.
Three weeks, four days . . . and counting.
