The adrenaline is already pumping through my veins - when I do my little workouts these days ( now that I am 'tapering'). . . . . . I feel like a horse at the gate - rearing up . . . . ready to BOLT!
Then 9pm rolls around - and I am exhausted!!!
What a natural high I am having - I AM LOVING THIS!
"Only those who will risk going too far
can possibly find out how far one can go."
- T.S. Eliot
So I have been reading the book "One Gear, No Brakes" by Lori Ann Muenzer.
I can relate to a lot that she is talking about here in chapter 7.
"mental training consists of running an ideal race, from pre-race prep to post-event warm down, in your head.
He keeps me on the edge of exhaustion. Not enough stress means not enough improvement. Too much leads to breakdown.
This training is to control your emotions both in training and racing. A race is won before you're anywhere near the race itself. You must believe you can win before you win."
So I went to sleep tonight 'visualizing' my race. . . . hmm . . .when you fall asleep in the middle of 'visualizing', you have really weird dreams about the race. I had a weird one last night. . . . didn't know which way to go on the run, then I lost my shoes - I guess I took a break and took my shoes off - very confusing. . . my sister was there, and she was done - she had started earlier than I had, I guess you could start whenever you wanted to. It was a weird dream. I learned from this dream that:
1. I need to visualized while I am awake so that I can control my thoughts
2. I need know the race route, as to take the fear out of the unknown.
3. Call Carrie and wish her well on her 1/2 Marathon that she is doing the same day as my Ironman.
So - I am sitting on the train, 9pm, somewhere in the dark, in North Dakota. When I wake up I will be in St. Paul Minneapolis. I really love traveling by train . . . it forces us all to slow down and relax. No where to go, and I enjoy the clickety clack . . . . it will be a great sound to fall asleep to.
So getting ready to go on this trip just about 'did me in'. Wow - packing and thinking about what we might need in so many different climates, and purposes, and traveling, and food, and snacks for the kids, and 'my dietary needs', and workouts, and recovery, and sightseeing - and packing - - - - oh I hate packing, and lists, so many lists - 7 people for 24 days - who does this?!?! . . . . . but we did it, we made it - we are on the train, and there is nothing we can do about anything. Even as I type, the train is stopped, trying to fix something. . . . so I think I am just going to 'go to bed' - and hopefully when I wake up, they fixed the problem and we are back on track ( ha ha).
In our room when we got here today were these cute little chocolates with the perfect message. I need to remember the advice I give to everyone else,
I have trained for this, I have done the hard work, now is the time to 'have fun'. Enjoy the journey.
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