Limits

This morning was the big time trial. 5K on the track, coach present with a stopwatch. Thank God coach Trevor can count to 12.5 because I certainly can not. With the events of the past few days sleep is not coming as handily as it normally does. Now I can get to sleep, in fact if given the option I could lie down in the middle of a four lane highway, right on the yellow line and fall asleep within 30 seconds. Call it the blessings of being a nurse.

Staying asleep is another issue. Not that I couldn't if I had the chance to. But with Luc's broken leg, his pain medication schedule, etc., the beast doesn't stay asleep. The other blessing of a nursing career is the ability to do anything no matter how tired one is. So not only can I function, I can function well without rest. In fact my 2004 Musselman victory happened on 3 hours of sleep and a 12 hour shift of emergency nursing before it.

Point made I assume.

I wanted to prepare for this time trial. Aside form a few runs in high school I have never set foot on a track. I have prescribed workouts on one, but never done them myself. When I saw this scheduled for Me 2 weeks ago, I got nervous. So I needed to create a plan to mentally run hard on a track, in front of coach, just 3 weeks after the Ironman.

Gulp.

6am came and I was ready with a large cup of coffee for coach. My approach to this time trial was to make it simple. I knew it was my mind that stood in the way. Mile one I would repeat to myself the word "focus". Mile two I could repeat "Strong" and mile 3 I would mentally chant "Commit .... strong.... commit... strong."

After a 15 minute warm up it was time to begin. Coach had all my goal splits written and graphed and he was ready with the stopwatch. 3 weeks ago he asked me what I thought I could run a 5K in and I told him. Honestly I was hoping that was what I could run it in, and after the Ironman it became a prayer.

I lined up and he dropped his hand. I began to run. The first four laps went quick. I felt great. I saw the number 6 when I looked at my Garmin (not six minutes flat, six something!). The second mile began to hurt a little bit. Coach and I had discussed this prior to the start and we knew it was coming. My legs were flying, and my mind was focused. I knew I was losing form and I would hear the occasional "CADENCE" shout from across the field. That was cue to stop increasing the length of my stride as I began to hope I could leap a tall building with my single bound.

The tough part came when I thought I had 2 laps left and Coach called out "THREE TO GO!" I wanted to lose it, walk, blow it off. THREE? Then I realized opportunity was upon me. Come back to your focus Mary and commit to this run! I knew my weakness during my run was much more mental than physical. In the throws of the Ironman this is where the rubber meets the road. The Ironman doesn't build character, it reveals it. Have enough and you are golden. Have none and you're screwed.

I crossed the finish line and smile. I nailed the exact pace I thought I would. Three weeks after the Ironman and running every single day put me right where I wanted to be.

Which is good news as me move forward through this transition week. I have an FTP test on Sunday which will reestablish my power zones. The dialing in will be done, and Monday I will begin the next block of preparing.

Looking forward I am excited. I know there is hard work to come and I am delighted. I am ready. I am ready to dig deep and look beyond myself. I am ready to reach higher than I have reached before. This morning I proved to myself that the impossible is possible. The only limit that I have is the limit I set for myself.

Thanks for stopping by.

:-) Mary Eggers