Breaking up with Iron
I am very proud to announce there was no dropping trou on the long run this week. We moved it to Thursday night this week due to my schedule, due to the heat (we want it hot), humidity and being later in the day.
When you are a morning person running at night is very strange. There were PEOPLE at the ice cream shop form which we begin. Real.... ice cream eating people. Which always is interesting when you are running.
We were soaked to the bone when we were done.
S-U-C-C-E-S-S!
Don't you hate when all of a sudden too much time magically becomes too little time? I must say that every day ... but that's okay.... with my short term memory it's new to me every single time. Like a goldfish seeing the little plastic castle. Wow! A castle! (Wait 30 seconds) Wow! A Castle! (rinse and repeat all day long).
Now my husband said something to me yesterday that rocked my entire world. He told me... sit down for this one.... that once you are an Ironman you are always an Ironman. He said that you don't' have to keep doing this over and over and over and over!
I know! I know! I said the same thing!
I wish someone had told me this four Ironmans ago!
It's actually gotten to the point where I don't want people to know. You've done HOW MANY? They look at you sideways, they squint their eyes, and many times they just begin backing up. How many miles is that????? OH MY GAWD! And god forbid they see the back of my car. Worse than a locker room. Trust me. Ask Curt.
Believe me I am well aware of this mental illness. Well aware. To the people I respond "Don't be impressed... I am sick."
It's to the point where I have actually instructed my husband that I am not to leave our Lake Placid home during registration on Saturday. And on Monday morning hide the keys because I am not signing up for 2009.
It's to the point where I have thought about the races I will do in 2009 to prevent me from returning to 140.6. (Actually we can consider my Ironman 140.8 because I will at some point not run straight). So right now I am planning Gulf Coast, Mooseman, Musselman. That takes me through July.
It's to the point where I feel like I have to break up with the Ironman. This is not an easy task. It's been a wonderful relationship. A long one. One that I will return to. The Ironman loves me and I love the Ironman.
I am afraid to break the news to the Ironman. I worry he will be upset with me. I worry he won't welcome me back. I worry he will find another love.
I envision my final run (for a while) along Mirror Lake drive during that second loop. I will be crying for a thousand reasons. Mostly I will be crying becasue whatever the day may bring I know I won't have this feeling again for a while. The feeling of being called an Ironman.
But Ironman isn't like that, I know. Ironman loves me and he knows. He knows that ours is a relationship that is deep and meaningful... so much so that every now and then we have to step away from one another.
Sniff. But once I am an Ironman.... I am always an Ironman!
In other exciting news Coach T surprised me in his decision that I should and will race the Quakerman. It's a shortie (it's a freaking warm up.) but in my hometown and best of all.... Luc will be racing.
So let's hope these distance legs have a little snap in them.
4 comments:
Whenever I try to break up with the Ironman, I always end up giving in and going back to him. I'm just too weak!
Just don't have any bloody marys the morning of registration. Otherwise you might end up making an embarrassing attempt to get back together with the Ironman.
I sometimes get embarrassed about my "illness." My son told his camp counselor that I'm training for an IM, and the counselor was impressed. I said "Oh, don't be - I do it almost every year, plus I'm not fast or anything." WTF? I sounded like an idiot!
Hey Mary-
Just an FYI- The high bid on the Bontrager disk is only $745 right now with just an hour left for bidding. I'm not trying to SELL it to you, rather just wanted to let you know...not sure what will happen down the wire, but for $750 its an awesome deal (and would prefer you'd be the one to get it for that price)!
So what does the fact that the most educated person on the train-this team is racing in his 7th consecutive Ironman on July 20th say???
My OCD husband has had a lot of fun this year racing small local races. I think its been a real boost for his self confidence because he wins alot; age group, sometimes placing overall. That doesn't happen for him in a big IM event. And he's had more fun training. After four years of IM volume training, he's really enjoying the intensity of shorter training sessions.
So much so that he's decided to take next year off too! In fact now he's saying he may wait until he ages up again before doing another IM. He just turned 46!
I'll sign up for Placid and he can be my sherpa for a change!
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