Can an Average Runner Become an IRONMAN?

Audaciously...I'm thinking, "YES!"

Week 4 done

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Week 4!

I had a 2-day employee retreat scheduled this week and wasn’t entirely sure how those 2 days would play out in terms of available time to workout. And…I got in more than I expected!

Sunday – Half hour swim. I took both kids to the lap pool! Wow, talk about working things out as a family. They did great. We went in the end lane that has a little more wiggle room and they steadily swam back and forth or got out of the pool to critique me. (It has become a favorite of theirs to tell me how  poorly I’m kicking.) = half hour

Monday – 1 hour strength. Went to triple block training and fierce abs. = 1 hour

Tuesday – After the day of facilitation I had just enough time to fit in a 6 mile run before the cocktail hour. This run felt great! I averaged 9:30 and it felt easy. I had some stress to get out! = 1 hour

Wednesday – Ran 3 miles with an employee at the retreat, nice and easy. (New running friend!!) Then I jumped on the bike for 20 minutes. = 1 hour

Thursday – Bike ride with my friend Amy! = 1 hour, 30 minutes

Friday = Swim lesson. Made progress AND have much more to learn. = half hour

Saturday = Run, about 9.5 miles, with a break in there to visit the farmers market with some running buddies + 35 minutes of strength at the gym, focused on glutes, hamstrings, and core. = 2 hours

TOTAL = 7.5 hours

Month 1 assessment

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One month done. Have I made enough progress?

So I’m thinking for successful Ironman training, you’ve got to be diligent and disciplined – keeping things moving. Yet, you’ve also got to be patient and not rush progress. I don’t know that I’m the best at this balance. (Well, it’s really the patience thing that I’m not good at.)

I’m hoping I’m on track – and have moments of anxiety that I’m not!!

So…let’s assess.

Month 1 progress Month 2 goals
2xs/week swimming (like it more than I thought I would!)

swim skills:

  • turning body
  • can bilateral
  • head turn getting closer
  • understand what’s needed from kick

blog set up!

volume up over 7 hours/week

Have a support team:

  • Coach: Elisabeth
  • Swim instructor: Kirsten
  • Cyclists: Amy (who’s going to go shopping with me for gear!), Betsy
  • Running Moms group
  • Swim/Run friend: Christine
  • And there are Ironman finishers at the gym I can tap into for adhoc coaching
  • Friends to crash with/visit when I’m training in Madison: The Kennedys
  strength 2xs/week

swim skills:

  • arms, use less energy
  • kick
  • breathing, try every 5 or 7 strokes (what!!?)

get cycling gear

create a regular routine of stretching and foam rolling

keep volume up

I type this out and it looks good. Yet, I can’t help the immediate rise of up anxious energy in me that wants to know, “Is it enough?!”

It was WILD out there!

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Wild RideMy first 2 hour solo lakefront cycling workout. 20 mph winds and waves kicking up on the path. Is this a good idea??

Maybe not.

I rode through a foot of water 3 times. I actually timed it right the first time to miss the waves. Coming up on the bend before Oak St. beach, I jumped off the bike, waited for the waves to crash against the wall, then I ran all awkward in my cycling shoes past the curve and got back on. Then I got cocky… Chanced it on the way back and my timing was way off, just watched the wave crash half way up the bike and felt my feet get soaked. Awesome. That makes your brakes wet too. Also got soaked twice at the narrow path just north of Navy Pier. Ugh!

My feet were pretty cold after that. You can cycle with cold toes, but I was worried about the dismount. I don’t have a perfect dismounting history (understatement!!) and I worried about trying to unclip and step off the bike with numb feet. So every once in a while I’d squeeze one set of toes 20 times and then do the other one.

I also had an emergency unclipping situation. I rounded a curve and there was a mound of sand on the path. Could I power through this? I really had no idea. I was thinking it was unlikely… yet maybe possible?! I stopped the panic enough momentarily to unclip and hopefully be ready either way. Yeah, turns out there was no way I was going to power through and I had enough where-with-all to lean the right way and one footed flintstone my way through the sand. (Sand + wet foot is a bit of a mess, but I didn’t fall so I declared it a success and went about my merry way).

2 almost emergency unclipping situations when 2 guys (yes, they were both guys) almost stepped into the path without looking both ways, without looking my way. I yelled at them. Just FYI, if you risk your safety or mine out on the bike path, I will yell at you.

Was this a ride good idea?? Maybe not. But, I did it.

It wasn’t the “steady state” ride my coach wanted it to be. Yet, it was a mental victory! I handled a lot out there (for an inexperienced cyclist!!) And I did not fall (that’s a bigger deal than you know… :-))

Week 3 done. 49 more to go.

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It’s week 3 and we’re looking to hold steady. Given 2.5 days of travel this week and 2 full days of facilitation, it’s going to be more challenging to get in the cycling.

Here we go…

Sunday – Half hour swim.

Went fine, slowing building confidence. I’m lifting my head up too much. My daughter, McKenzie, says the top of my head isn’t wet enough.

Monday – 20 minute run + T Power Dash class (treadmill sprints on an incline alternated with core and lunge work) + 10 min of strength focusing on arms and glutes = 1.25 hours

Monday night (Tuesday’s workout early) – Half hour strength and half hour on bike = 1 hour

Pushed it hard on the bike, was dripping sweat 5 minutes in and kept it going!

Tuesday – off

Wednesday – Ran 6 miles = about 1 hour

On the treadmill, starting at 5:30am. Woke myself up slowly with the speed set at 5.8; dropped it down to a 9:40 pace. Had cramps – which I usually don’t have! – in the last 1.5 miles. Pushed through, focusing on form. (Gotta keep doing stuff like this to get mentally tougher!)

Thursday – Cycling class + half hour swim = 1.5 hours

Friday – off

Saturday – 2 hours cycling.

Was windy and wild out there. More about that here.

TOTAL = 7. 25 hours

Breakdown by sport:

  • S = 1 hour
  • B = 3.5 hours
  • R = 1.5 hours
  • W = 1.25 hours