Why

Each of us has a reason for why we are in this sport. In fact, each of us have a few "why" reasons. Tonight I swam with my heart and I swam with a vengeance. I swam for our son. I swam for his future, I swam for his chance and I swam because I am hurting. I can not allow him to see anything but strength, I will never allow him to see me weak.

Inside of my goggles I cried for 4,000 yards. I cried because I know what it is like to have no one believe in you. I know what it is like to be condemned. I know what it is like to be told you are stupid. I know what it is like to be told I will never make it in the world.

Our son has what has become the buzz phrase "special needs". Essentially he is a square peg that the school district wants to stuff into a round hole. He is a very bright beautiful sunshine that they want to turn off. He is a child with exquisite wonder, fascination and abundant love within him.

And they try to squeeze all of that out of him so that he becomes molded into the round peg.... just like everyone else.

At my CSE meeting on Thursday I was surrounded by 12 people who told me negative things about my son. Who highlighted his limitations. Only his speech therapist and his occupational therapist spoke of his strengths.

Well I shall raise my middle finger to all of them. Because this is not a child who will be kicked around. This is not a child who will be condemned because he does not fit the mold.

This is a child who will have 110% support from his family. This is a child who will grow up believing in himself, believing that he can, and learning that anything is possible.

I will never allow his brain chemistry to be changed in any way, shape or form. It was one of the greatest things my own parents protected me from. For my son I shall do the same.

I am his tower of strength. I am his advocate. I am armed and ready for the meeting on Tuesday when again the ratio will be 12:1. 12 against him, but one for him.

And he will never know about the 12 against him. He will only know that we are in his corner, and that we love him.

Give a man a fish and he will again be hungry. Teach a man to fish and he will never know hunger again.

So tonight I cried..... I allowed the pain to move through me. I allowed myself to feel the pain and agony of what they are trying to do to him. And when I was finished, 4,000 yards later...... I felt peace. I felt my strength renewed. I stood tall as I left the pool and I walked confidently with him in my thoughts.

Perseverance. I invented it.

:-) Mary Eggers

Spirit

Some in the triathlon circles around here are hearing that I have become a gadget nut, and that makes me smile. A few have even written to me in horror, as a girl of spirit how could I have gone to the dark side? Mary you are not having fun......... I am told quite angrily......

I appreciate the worry, because it means they care. That's heartwarming, I am luckily to be surrounded by people who do care.

But fear not, my spirit has done nothing but strengthened. All the gadgets in the world can not take from me the joy, happiness and the feeling of being connected to life's energy like my spirit does.

Part of taking on the gadgets..... is taking on the gadget stress. But you eliminate that stress by taking it all one step at a time. One week the goal might be to hook it up. The next the goal might be to successfully download it. And maybe on race day it all fails..... that's when the true test is told. So if it all fails and I am left with me, myself and I... well that's just darn fine.

I had to make a decision last week regarding Eagleman. In the end it was an easy decision.

Yoga and triathlon are the yin and the yang of my life. As you know I am currently deep within the training of Baptiste Power Vinyaysa. We practice in 90 degree heat, do more push ups than anyone, and we flow...... it is an amazing physical practice not meant to punish but to free the body and in turn the mind.

There are two levels to the Baptiste Vinyasa Teacher Training program, level I and level II. These must be done together within 2 years. I attended my Level I in 2006 in Hawaii. I had planned on attended my level II in Sept in Montana.

However my husband has set his sights on the world championship in Germany, which runs from Aug 28- Sept 4th. My training begins on Sept 1st. I checked into the training schedule and there is one other level II in 2007. June 9-16th in Montana. Eagleman is June 10th.

It was an easy decision. Of course I would pull out of Eagleman, and go to the training in Montana. When again will I have the opportunity to bike in Germany with my husband and cheer him on?

My chance to shine will be at Ironman Lake Placid and Ironman Florida. I get to go to Panama City in May to test the waters. While Eagleman is one of my favorite races, it will be there again.

In Montana I will practice yoga four hours a day. But for a week, deep in the mountains the days will be so long and full that I will not swim, nor bike nor run. Not for 7 days.

Does that worry me?

Not in the least. I view it as a vital part of the Ironman training. I will come back from Montana focused, cleared out, and renewed. And very tied. If you've ever thought yoga was easy and light, then you practice hatha, not power vinyaysa. (there is something out there for everyone).

Yoga has an unbelievable way of pulling me together, and that in turn makes me stronger.

So Germany wins. A European vacation, a chance to cheer on Curt, to get away, to ride my bike, to visit with my Parisian sister, Amos. It is a gift and the chance of a lifetime.

So see guys, I am not all about wattage and cadence and heart rate.

But if my coffee mug had a USB port....... it truly would be heaven.

:-) Mary Eggers

The Power of Positive Thinking

This morning on the final mile of my 18 mile run, I had a victory mile. I always give myself a victory mile. This morning's workout began at 0430 and it began on the bike. 90 min on the bike then over to our group run at Mendon Ponds Park. I was fortunate enough to run with my team for the first 13 miles, and was on my own for the final 5.

But the solo final 5 is where girls become women, where boys become men. Sometimes when I feel weak I say it's time to giddy up, put your balls on, or sometimes I just count. Even with 500 calories on board I felt a bit spaced out, so I took in 2 more gels during those final 5.... and you know what..... I had no stomach issues. I think we've gotten through that.

At mile 18 I of course cried. And of course I smiled. I smiled and cried because a year ago I was in a very different place. And while I am letting that go, I don't want to let go of the gratitude I feel right now for where I am at today. Not just in sport but in life. I don't want to forget where I came from, what I came from, what I came through. The high moments, the low moments... it all ties together. It all blends. We are where we are for a reason.

Lisa Bentley.... 10 time Ironman Champion... recommended a book to Simply Stu listeners called the Power of Positive Thinking. I have been reading it and I have been using it in workouts, in business, as a Mom, as a wife, in every arena of my life. The principles taught in this book however..... are to a T identical to my yoga practice. Identical in terms of the message, the phisosophy, the material. I can not help wonder if the author of this book is a yogi in disguise.

It talks about emptying your head daily. It talks about throwing anxiety over a waterfall. Throwing self doubt or any negative thought into a river. Watch those all roll away.

In the land of Ironman there is a lot of anxiety. With a race of 140.6 miles so much can go wrong that you can not control, and that is what people focus the most on. Flats, crashes, mishaps....... anything can happen on race day.

Step up to the starting line of the Ironman in fear, with any ounce of self doubt.... and why bother even starting.

Walk up to the starting line with patience, humility and a quiet confidence/.... those are tools that we need.

And the Ironman is really a metaphor for life. When presented with a challenge of any kind, positive or negative.... how do you react? That in turn almost can determine the outcome.

So as I sit here in Curt's man chair with my feet up, twenty hours and twenty minutes of training, 6300 yards swum, 150 miles ridden and 46.62 miles run....... there is no room for self doubt. But there is this quiet feeling of readiness. I am doing the work and come race day, I shall be ready.

And I will throw every anxiety or self doubt that creeps up, off the back of my bike. And whoever is behind me better watch out! And they'd better not draft because..... well..... there are bodily functions that need to be relieved during a race of this distance.... and shall we say beware of the golden shower.

:-) Mary Eggers

Get Ready for the New Site!

I had a meeting with Twin Advertising this afternoon, and saw the incredible face lift they are about to give the Train-This! website. Our blog will look a little different as well! I definitely want to thank Jeff Henderson for the initial clean up work that he did for our website!

And I want to extend a very warm welcome to John Galbraith and the amazingly talented staff at TWIN Advertising for believing in a little company like me, offering to help me attain an incredibly professional look, and head towards growth in our sport.

I can't wait for you all to see it, stay tuned!

:-) Mary Eggers

I've Got the Power

The Ergamo has arrived and is currently being installed on my bike..... hooray! Now all of this power training I have been doing on the computrainer can be brought over to the roads. It's interesting because my friend, whom I affectionately refer to as Paddie (his Irish nickname) is raring to race me on my bike.

Now I love Paddie, please don't get me wrong. He's a tremendous athlete who handidly kicks my butt to the finish line. He's damn hung up over the bike however. I pretty regularly outsplit him on wheels (but he's out run me by 20 minutes, so who really cares.....) Hey, anything can happen on race day and what really matters is the race you have within yourself. Bring it over and race someone else's race ... that's where trouble lies.

I am very excited about now racing and pacing by using wattage. The Cycling Peaks software allows you to analyze your ride, determine the wattage zones for you much like you do with zones and heart rate.

Will all this analyzation work? Who knows. One of my friends Joey went from being a 12:46 Ironman finisher to a 10:23 Ironman finisher. That was over the course of five Ironmans and I don't think he even once took his resting heart rate, much less checked it during training.

What I love about the computrainer and the Garmin, is that there is no hiding. There is no question. There is no...... was that really a half mile? It's there, black and white. Honest as honest can be. From there as I continue to evolve I can see the progress of lack thereof.

So heading towars race season, I feel sorry for people who target that one person. That one person who they want to destroy. It brings up hatred, it brings up negativity, and who wants to race like that. I have raced that way and it sucks.

I love to race with me, for me, and against me. What can I handle? What can I sustain? What can I do? If my bike split is faster or slower does it make me a better person? At my funeral will anyone care?

The person who looks to me, as being the one person they want to beat, so that they can feel good about themselves, what does that say? In a world where we are amateur triathletes with families and careers and friends...... what does that say?

The only person I ever need to answer that to, is the woman in the mirror.

And Paddie...... Curt told me to do it. He liekd to push your big red button, with love!

:-) Mary Eggers

Happy Spring Everyone!

Spring is about blooming, rebirth, new life, new hope. It's where the earth is uncovered and all has a chance to grow again. Blossom, reach, breathe. New air seems to encircle the earth, and new wind seems to blow freshness into everything. It's why I throw open the windows on a day like today, at 40 degrees it cleans out the air in the house and allows us to have a fresh start.

At 0530 this morning as I left for swim practice, I noticed the clear night sky. Every star was visible. A medium training day was on hand, and with four hours of sleep I was feeling tired, but at the same time full of life.

Wednesday is cruise interval day, and I seem to approach it with conservatism. After last week's pile driver event, I decided to stay conservative and rather than increase to 4 minutes, run the same 3 minute CI as I did last week. This time increasing to five. So only 15 minutes of quality running, which for Ironman training is a drop in the ocean. But a year ago I was injured, so I feel happy.

My original goal was to stay below 7:30. During CI #1 when the watch read 6:49, I almost passed out! Was this right? I waited another 30 seconds and looked again, 6:50! I felt good, I felt....light.....and I felt strangely strong.

Through the varying terrain (I tried to pick a flat route, however here in Rochester NY all we have is long sloping hills, unless you run on the Erie Canal..... but that is covered in snow...) I was able to very comfortably maintain a pace between 6:50-7:10. Before I go predicting my marathon time, I realize this is only for 3 minutes. This is a great first step in the direction of building these to 10 X 6 minutes at "X" pace. That comes in June though... baby steps for me now!

Needless to say I was delighted. I was grateful. To see a 6 again was a gift. It allows me to begin gaining my running confidence back, which I lost in 2005.

I thought ahead to Spring Forward on April 1st and reminded myself I need to run 5 miles before the race and 4 afterwards..... so to aim for it is off the table.

Patience. Ironman is all about patience (and a whole lotta other things too! :-)

So as I build through this 42 mile week, I am happy. Happy for sunshine, happy for warm weather, happy to be feeling good. Happy that four hours will be spent on the road tomorrow. Happy that my bike is having the Ergomo installed today. Happy that the Train-This gear is in production.

Just happy.

:-) Mary Eggers

Happy Spring Everyone!

Spring is about blooming, rebirth, new life, new hope. It's where the earth is uncovered and all has a chance to grow again. Blossom, reach, breathe. New air seems to encircle the earth, and new wind seems to blow freshness into everything. It's why I throw open the windoes on a day like today, at 40 degrees it cleans out the air in the house and allows us to have a fresh start.

At 0530 this morning as I left for swim practice, I noticed the clear night sky. Every star was visible. A medium training day was on hand, and with four hours of sleep I was feeling tired, but at the same time full of life.

Wednesday is cruise interval day, and I seem to appraoch it with conservatism. After last week's pile driver event, I decided to stay conservative and rather than increase to 4 minutes, run the same 3 minute CI as I did last week. This time increasing to five. So only 15 minutes of quality running, which for Ironman training is a drop in the ocean. But a year ago I was injured, so I feel happy.

My origional goal was to stay below 7:30. During CI #1 when the watch read 6:49, I almost passed out! Was this right? I waitied another 30 seconds and looked again, 6:50! I felt good, I felt....light.....and I felt stranglely strong.

Through the varying terrain (I tried to pick a flat route, however here in Rochester NY all we have is long sloping hills, unless you run on the Erie Canal..... but that is covered in snow...) I was able to very comfortably maintain a pace between 6:50-7:10. Before I go predicting my marathon time, I realize this is only for 3 minutes. This is a great first step in the direction of building these to 10 X 6 minutes at "X" pace. That comes in June though... baby steps for me now!

Needless to say I was delighted. I was grateful. To see a 6 again was a gift. It allows me to begin gaining my running confidence back, which I lost in 2005.

I thought ahead to Spring Forward on April 1st and reminded myself I need to run 5 miles before the race and 4 afterwards..... so to aim for it is off the table.

Patience. Ironman is all about patience (and a whole lotta other things too! :-)

So as I build through this 42 mile week, I am happy. Happy for sunshine, happy for warm weather, happy to be feeling good. Happy that four hours will be spent on the road tomorrow. Happy that my bike is having the Ergomo installed today. Happy that the Train-This gear is in production.

Just happy.

:-) Mary Eggers

The Dawn

Three good solid weeks are lined up as things begin to take a slow transition into intensity. Another set of cruise intervals are lined up for Wednesday, and when I say short, I mean they are short. Three minutes :-) By the end of the block I hope to be up to six minutes. And with this Garimin I can see where my pacing is at.

In the fall while racing I was able to hold a good 7:45 pace. I am hoping for Gulf Coast to whittle that down to 7:30 pace, and then I am hoping to bring that to a level for a four hour marathon at Ironman Lake Placid. Then to Ironman Florida I would love to break four for that run.

So one continues to build into the next.

During this 3 week build I am going to race 2 times. I will sand which the Spring Forward 9.5 miler into an 18 mile run.... running 5 beforehand and 4 afterwards. Then to the Rabbit Ramble, a 4 miler which I shall insert into a 16 mile run. Just needing to get some tempo into these long sessions.

The ergamo will be here on Wednesday, which means time to learn some bike pacing.

It's all beginning to look up around here.

Have a terrific week, thank you for stopping by.

:-) mary eggers

Nothin' But UP!

Thank you 13 Wham for the best news of the morning! WOO HOO!

:-) Mary Eggers

Happy St. Patty's Day!

Congrats to all the awesome runners who ran the Johnny's Runnin O' The Green this morning. The two feet of snow did not stop the speediest of the speedy. Congrats especially to Shamus, who handily kicked the bootie of Paddie E!

Happy St. Pat's!

:-) mary eggers

Pile Driver

I am often asked how the mood is here at camp Egg. Two triathletes, two competitive minds, two type AAA people and a 6 year old. Some think it's thick with competition, but I have to break the news..... Camp Egg is likely one of the most fun households on the planet. Laughter and wrestling are the two common themes here, and at any given moment I find myself pinned on my back by one of the two boys. It can be dangerous, but damn it is fun.

Which came to a halt this week when Curt delivered what I am calling a Pile Driver, to me.

You see, Curt in high school was a star wrestler. Yet his senior year he did not make it to states. Something for the thousands of years he has been out of high school...... has haunted him.

And for the past ten years, I have been the guy he should have beaten. Until now. I can happily say the game is over. And thank goodness I am just fine.

Because you see my feet were both swiped out from underneath me one night as I once again attempted to wrestle the star wrestler. And not only in ten years have I never successfully pinned him, I found myself landing on my tailbone, with horrendous pain suddenly shooting through my back.

Not since 2005 Half Max Nationals had I a problem with my back, which was originally injured in 1997 when I was hit by a car. I was running, and I was fine. I ran home but came into contact with some back issues. They creep up every now and then, and after this long I know exactly how to handle it. It takes me three days to get back to 100%.

Luckily at the time of the event my long ride and key run was already complete. Wednesday I jumped right into a recovery week, and switched things up down the line. I adjusted all other workouts to recovery to protect, and added in some more yoga.

And as I look at the plan, I am glad. Still the same number of build and recovery weeks, just ordered in a...... whoah...... better way. Did the wrestling star know this at the time of the Pile Driver? Possibly. Probably not however.

As I tuned into the weather and saw another blast of snow coming our way, I was secretly relieved that Sunday's run had been changed to 9 miles rather than 18. Next week when the 18 are to be run.... hell it is supposed to be sixty degrees.

Fate? I would like to think so.

So training is sometimes interrupted with pile drivers, or illness, or crashes or just life. Being flexible enough to literally roll with the punches...... that's the key to getting to the starting line.

So here I am on Saturday evening and I am back to 100%. Recovery week unannounced, it showed up, I rolled with it, I re planned. It was hard not to push through it, but it was the right decision. Whew!

And then at the end of it all, I will have had one extra long ride. And for a girl like me, that's better than hot cocoa!

:-) mary eggers

Preview

We've had a taste of spring here in the Northeast. A dip in the warm ocean, a sprinkle of sunshine on our backs. I opened my eyes, looked to the sun and I smiled. I knew it wasn't here to stay, I knew it would not stay long. But while it was here I drew it in, I soaked it up and again, I smiled.

It's a taste of the good things to come. A light at the end of the tunnel.

As we dip back into the not so frigid temperatures of winter again this weekend, we dip back into it with hope. The snow will fall but at thirty degrees the end is looming. The sun is ready and there is grass that is ready to grow, flowers that are ready to bloom.

I spread my wings this week and I allowed myself to fly. I also held onto the reigns and pulled things back in as they needed to be. That's the fine line we walk, a dip over the edge and then a step back. A little more rest and a little more work.

A few more weeks of base and then a test session in Florida. Between now and then a few cruise interval runs, hill work, but lots of base miles to solidify this foundation. What's hidden underneath? I am not even sure. But I will shine on the day I need to shine on. At the distance I have dreamt of returning to.

Until then I will hold back, I will hold hope and I will continue to move forward. There is a reason for each of the seasons we travel through. A reason for winter, a reason for spring and a reason for the summertime. And then comes fall when the earth prepares to enter the next cycle.

And so it is with many things in our lives, we follow cycles. One builds into another, one prepares us for the next. We must hold hope that the sun will again shine. Because it will.

Until then, we bundle up, slide on our fuzzy hats, and we allow ourselves to be patient.

:-) Mary Eggers

Run Like the Wind

"Run like the wind" my friend Jen wrote to me today. I admitted my fear to her. I have been afraid to run my cruise intervals because I am afraid my Achilles Tendon is going to snap. However there is no pain, no soreness nor any indication that something like that would happen.

It is fear. And it is me being in the way of my own self.

With 44 miles of running scheduled this week and Gulf Coast 1/2 Ironman in 8 weeks, I know I can not procrastinate any longer. I am running hills. I am running steady. I am running tempo. The cruise intervals can not be pushed off any longer. They have to take place on Wednesday.

I will run like the wind.

I think that I found heaven today, at the Rochester Institute of Technology. Just 5 miles form my home, RIT is where I am now an adjunct faculty.... teaching Spinning. The group of kids this morning were terrific. They had great form, they wanted to be there. I am so honored they are taking the class this quarter.

It gives me the opportunity to get in a nice 90 minute ride with music and people and just let loose.

RIT also has the most beautiful pool in the world. I swim 2 X 90 minute practices with the RAMS, and I have been swimming a third 60 minute swim on my own at the Y. The hot crowded pool was just fine, and then here I was at RIT. Full use of the incredible facilities. And here was the pool.

So for 4000 yards I was in comfortable space, splitting a lane, and swimming long, swimming steady. It was heaven on earth as far as pools go. And through my life I have been in many chlorinated environments.

So cheers to another great training week. And thanks Jen for my mantra on Wednesday.

Run like the wind........

:-) Mary Eggers

Glory Days

Week two of the current build complete. Running miles to 41.94 Total training hours are at 18. While that is all well and good, you can run all of the miles you want and train the most hours of anyone, but it is what you do with those miles and hours that matters.

Given that, each workout has served its purpose. I am feeling wonderful. After the most running I have done in a few years I am absent of any kind of soreness. When I wonder if I can handle more miles, I am reminded that I can right now, handle more quality. It is easy to want to pile more on, it is hard to be smart.

My cycling is coming in the direction I hope it shall. cadence much higher, steady wattages and the heart rate zones as prescribed.

Swimming is going well also. Now that we are swimming 2 X 90 minute sessions we are cranking out 5000+ yards. What I adore about my swim coach however is that we still drill. We still scull, we still do the basics.

Nutrition also evolving. More water is the goal this week, as I tend to be a coffee drinker throughout the day. I love the ambiance that comes along with my caffeinated glory. The warm mug, the conversation. Just about anything in the world can happen over a cup of Joe.

At our Ironman meeting this mooring I noticed how the team has bonded. The boundary between the new people and the current group has been erased. Memoreis are forming, It's all so wonderful.

Onward we go, build week three next week. Tempo and hills are the themes.

:-) Mary Eggers

Crossroads

I am currently in a 2 day class to renew my Pediatric Advanced Life Support Certification. We call it PALS. Mine actually expired a year ago and when my new nurse manager realized this (I didn't even pay attention, my bad) she did what any great nurse manager would do.... she suspended me. Now mind you I work one night a week, so a 2 week suspension was met with cheer! That was signal number one.

Signal number two came today. As I walked towards the Big House (Strong) my heart felt heavy. For eight hours I would be buried behind walls and get tested on every skill known to man. They have completely changed the way they do this course and it sucked.

So there I was standing at skills station #3, the Team Leader of a Pediatric code. Michael from the Adirondacks was my tester, as he was the last time. We talk a lot about Saranac and Lake Placid, it's where he is from. He's terrific.

"Okay Mary do you suspect Cardiogenic shock or hypovolemic shock?" He asked me. And I looked at him. Although I knew the answer, I recognized the signs, and had been able to lead the code very effectively until this point......... I wanted to say to Michael ask me if I care.

"Hypovolemic" I correctly stated.

It's not that I am not intelligent enough. It's not that I don't have the credentials. It's not that I don't love being a nurse. It's not that I don't enjoy the 4-8 hours I do it a week.

I just want to be on the other side. I don't want to be cleaning up the mess. I want to be preventing the mess.

So as I was leaving the big house and making my way to Afghanistan where I park..... I turned around and looked at The Big House. I have been there only 7.5 years. I became a nurse here. I gave birth here. My son's heart was stopped and started here. I feel like I owe a debt of gratitude to this sprawling mass of buildings and the people inside.

"Strong isn't going anywhere" Bill told me that last week. Maybe he is right.

So as I was standing there and people walked by me, wondering why I was staring back at the big house. I thought "What would you rather do Mary?"

Visions of the Train-This personal training studio flashed into my mind. Where I would be helping people get healthy and avoid coming here. I dreamt of being on my bike in the sun, I dreamt of being in yoga class, either teaching or taking......

I dreamed of continuing to work for myself rather than swiping in and swiping out.

So I said it. I set the deadline.

After Ironman Florida I will take a new path. A path that has been building for three years. The Train-This path. I have to see what I can do, or I will forever wonder...... what if?

:-) Mary Eggers

The Long Run

Call me crazy but I am going to miss these mornings. The mornings where I wait a bit to start my long run, until the sun comes up and the cars have all gotten to work. The mornings where out the window of my home office the blanket of white covers the earth, and there is quiet stillness all around.

I will strangely miss the cold long runs, the crisp air, the frozen eyelashes, the trickery of footing. These runs present challenges that make me stronger. And it isn't just the run itself, it is the subsequent ice bath. Because it wasn't cold enough on the fifteen miles I am about to run. The fifteen minutes submerged in literal ice water itself presents challenge. Can I do it?

And all of it come down to 2 final events. The long hot shower and the big bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup. Those 2 things are heaven in themselves.

I believe we have solved the problems during my races of vomiting during the runs. Thanks to the Computrainer and the Garmis 305 we are able to track, graph and take a good look at my heart rate and my effort levels. Closer than ever we are, to figuring the mystery out.

Before my 4 hour ride yesterday I tempted fate by eating a big breakfast not too long before I got onto the bike. I wanted to see how I felt. After a few weeks of steady efforts at a higher cadence, 200-250 wattages and heart rate hanging steady in zones 2 and 3, I feel as if I have "evened out." And it might turn out that I can eat just about anything during a race.

I am looking forward to the Gulf Coast 1/2 Ironman and the Eagleman 70.3 races to test all of this out. Those races will be data gathering races. I won't be doing long tapers for either, and I know it is a long way to travel to gather data. But I need to see how my body reacts to heat, wind, efforts on these courses, as that is all going to direct my training for Ironman Florida. So at both of those starting lines I will be wired for data. And I will have good days because I am too used to having terrible disastrous days. And once you have the terrible day.... it becomes easier to allow the day to become terrible.

And that segways into the mental training I have been working so hard on. the 70.3 distance is the perfect testing ground for the Ironman, because you get a mental and physical taste of distance. And when it comes to Ironman we know it is so much more mental than anything else.

I will remain on the even keel, not getting to happy, not getting too sad. Letting go of doubts and just being in the actual moment, being present.

But I digress, time to go now. I have a date with 15 miles and an Ice Bath.

:-) mary Eggers

Resistance

What do you do when you come face to face with resistance? Do you back down, or do you take the step up on the ladder? Do you run away from it or look it straight in the eye. If you look it straight in the eye ... is it with anger or respect?

Resistance is opportunity is disguise. Opportunity to grow, become stronger, mature. Resistance manifests itself in many ways ... pain ... doubt ... fear.... but once you learn to recognize it, learn to respect it.

Fight it, get angry with it, and it will rear it's head somewhere. sometime.

Acknowledge it, respect it. Step right up to it an look it in the eye. When the time is right put your foot on the rung of the ladder and take the step up. The rung is resistance and with the right tools it will help you become a stronger person, a stronger athlete, a stronger career person....... a stronger you.

Think about how you have previously dealt with it. Before, when you came into the uncomfortable situation you did what you were taught to do. You got up and got out. Run, get away, change something elsewhere to make it all feel better.

Now you have learned to stay in uncomfortable situations. Learned to absorb the resistance whether it be physical or emotional. Walk through the fire, don't be afraid to get burned. It will hurt, of course it will. Emerge from the other side stronger.

To become stronger we must become weaker. To become stronger we must embrace humility and we must embrace respect. For what? That's for you to decide. Only you know your own resistance, only you know what you need to face, to look in the eye, to respect and acknowledge.

My respect for the Ironman is vast. I know that this is a race that is beyond the physical training. The physical training is almost the easy part. There are things that happen between mile 1 and mile 140.6 that I can not articulate, not explain, and not teach. You are not the same person at the finish line that you were at the starting line.

Not only are there physical challenges, there are nutritional, emotional challenges. Resistance. Getting angry at the Ironman will never help. For me, I must look around me and continually seep into the energy, in Lake Placid I gather energy from the mountains and forests that surround me. I respect the distance, the race and all that it entails.

Some days I walk away from this race and this training stronger. Some days I walk away from this weaker. Either way I am respectful. I will not pound my chest and proclaim to be the Queen Poombah of anything. For me it is proper to close my eyes, take my seat and allow the day to unfold as it will.

It has been a very long time since I have allowed myself to race like that. There has been a lot of clutter in the way during the past 2 years.

The clutter has been cleared. I have walked through the fire. And as this journey continues to evolve, my ears and my heart are open. I am ready to look resistance in the eyes. I am ready to acknowledge it, respect it, and allow it to teach me.

Resistance is opportunity in disguise.

:-) Mary Eggers

The Peaceful Warrior

We have resurfaced into the prettiest days of winter here in Rochester. Temperatures are in the mid 20's to 30's, the snow is perfect form snowball fights and snowman making. The roads are clear and the earth is covered in a beautiful blanket of white.

If you look towards a forest at night, it no longer looms dark, the brightness of the winter snow illuminates the earth under a stunning full moon.These are the days that I relish, and these are the times I adore living in upstate New York. Those minus zero days can be difficult, but we have roofs over our heads and fireplaces to snuggle up in front of. Come the weekend and thirty degrees there is snow fun to be had, whether it is sledding, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, down hill skiing...... you name it and we can do it.

As I completed the fortieth mile of running this week I soaked up every inch of winter crisp air that I could. No longer the annoying bitter wind, but the stillness and beauty of winter. In just a few short weeks our attention will turn from staying warm to staying hydrated. From bundling up to stripping down. From gearing up to tapering.

We've even had a new arrival here in my gadget training land..... the Garmin 305. I am now able to track, GPS, graph and preplan and program running workouts into my Garmin, no excuses now. Now not only can I create graphs of all my workouts, I can graph my heart rate when I grocery shop and pee too! Talk about geek squad, I have fallen in love with data. Don't tell my physics teacher in high school!I

have had a wonderful week of training, and as I arrive here at the end of it I find myself feeling very good. Soreness has escaped me, which I will forever credit to yoga. The 90 degree room and the constant flow not only help strength but the flexibility issues we all face. Last weekend I taught to a group called Moms in Motion. They told me that I legitimize yoga.I can't explain it, I can't articulate it, but yoga has brought me more than flexibility. So much more.

Swimming is feeling great, even though I had to swim alone this week. My friend Susan was in Hawaii for her yoga training, as I was last year so I subbed her am yoga classes. Swimming alone gave me good alone time. Good technique time. Good pace time.

I am loving the Vasa Trainer.

The four hour ride came and went. Actually 4:10. And it was effortless. My intensity rose and fell as I focused on different things for different parts of the ride. Cadence, wattage, zones, pace..... my head was in a peaceful place. I had no difficult moments, it was like this ride and I were destined to be together. It came and went quietly and it was then, at the end of 4:10 that I felt grateful for the previous debacles and bad workouts. I knew this day would come. There is something about the Lake Placid course, whether it is on the Computrainer or in real life... it mesmerizes me.

Coming this week we develop into more hills, with tempo tucked into the middle of it all, blending together for some intensity and mileage that will take me to the cycling heaven that I dream it will.

I hit 40 running miles for the first time in a few years without incident. The long run was in the middle of the week, with a middle distance run on the weekend. Just remaining in one II-III as I work on cadence and hills. Nice and steady. It's a great place to be compared to where I was a year ago today.

Strength is still coming along, as I have completely fallen in love with functional strength training. And did I mention how much I love the Vasa Trainer?

Nutrition, falling into place. The next 3 weeks will rob my body of the final 10 pounds, as the focus becomes not losing them too quickly. Good food in = good performances out.

Not all weeks will glide by with ease. Not all workouts will feel light and easy. The intensity is gaining, the hours are at 16. I look forward to days of challenge and more focus. I look forward to the sun shining down, I look forward to the taste of salt water in 2 months.Here at the end of the week I am analyzing the collected data, with the collected notes of how I felt.

My inner awareness is heightening, strengthening, honing in.My wings are spreading and I am preparing to fly. With a recharged heart, a recovered body, and a mind that is clear.

Thank you for reading, and thank you for your kind support.:-) Mary Eggers

Eighteen Holes In Your Own Mind

There is the story of a golfer, we will call him Golfer Joe. Golfer Joe quit golf for seven years. Previous to quitting golf for seven years, Golfer Joe was no one special on the green. He was your average Joe. But Golfer Joe had a dream. His dream was to improve his average, which was around 90. Seven years later he stepped onto a golf course again and shot a 74. That's a 20 stroke improvement for those of you who don't know.

What was interesting was that Golfer Joe was also in worse physical condition than he was 7 years prior.

Golfer Joe, for those seven years was a prisoner of war in Vietnam. Not only did he never swing a club, he never saw a green. He never spoke to or saw anyone except for those holding him captive. He was alone.

To escape, to occupy his mind Golfer Joe dipped into his mind. He imagined the smell of the grass, the feeling of the sun, the grip of the golf club in his hands. And in his mind he imagined himself playing round after round, hole after hole, swing after swing.

For seven years he played golf in his mind for four hours a day. Eighteen holes of golf, in all weather conditions. He saw the ball bounce, he corrected the imperfection in his swing.

Golfer Joe tapped into the most amazing, strongest, most capable part of our body. Our mind.

When I swam in high school, Coach Aungst would lead us through visualization drills. He would have us distance swimmers lay on mats. He'd set up the races. We'd imagine stepping onto the starting block. We'd imagine the feel of the block beneath our feet, we'd feel the anticipation of the gun. Then the race would start. Mr. Aungst would start his watch and then fall silent. We were left on our own to visualize our race. When we hit the wall we were to raise our hand.

After three sessions like this I was about to hit the wall at 5:20. The time it took for me to swim a 500 yard freestyle. Each race we would do that and I would be able to predict my time within 2 seconds. At the ripe young age of 15 Mr. Aungst taught us about the most important aspect of athletic performance..... the mind.

So think about your goal, your big race, your big game. Then lay down. Get comfortable. Feel the conditions. Is it hot? Is it cold? If you are outside can you smell the grass, the sand or the ocean? When the game starts or the gun goes off does your heart leap?

Imagine yourself flowing through every aspect of your game, your race, your event with ease. With grace... as you make no mistakes. Feel the lactic acid build in the legs, but feel yourself rise above it all. Feel yourself let go, and feel yourself soar.

As it finishes feel the finish line, hear the whistle blow, allow yourself to experience the ending. Then in your mind turn around. Did you give it 100% Did you do your best?

Don't visualize failure, visualize success, and don't be afraid of it. But don't discount the power of your mind either.

When it comes down to that one day when you need the stars to align and the wind to blow from the back........ you will be ready. And just like Golfer Joe, you will be more prepared than ever to go out and have your best day.

:-) Mary Eggers