posted by Lee@Tri*Inspired*Life on Ironman

As triathlon became such a big part in my life, one of the things I fell in love with was what it does for me, both physically, mentally and emotionally.  After a bad day, there is no other thing I would rather do was get in a good solid training session to help me work out my frustrations or clear my mind.  It is my therapy and my outlet.

When you are training for an Ironman, sometimes you have to dig deep to find the motivation for your next workout. My training this month kind of had a different motivation….therapy.  I had some personal tragedy recently and my training has been a huge part of my getting through some very tough days these last few weeks.

There were a few days when my training was one of the only things that seemed to make sense. While my heartache will never completely go away, I know that I have a very healthy way to try to deal with some crazy emotions.  I am grateful to have this outlet….my therapy.

Highlights from the month:

*Knocking out a long run one morning before work.  My training buddy Bill and I decided to adjust the schedule and complete an 11 mile run early.  I was happy with the adjustment and was able to have more time during the day to get in rehydration and some much needed stretching and recovery (NormaTec boots!!!)  that evening.

*I have loved my new bike since I rode it for the very first time.  However, since I have only been riding it on the road and utilizing my Cannondale for trainer rides, I have finally put in enough miles to really be comfortable on my Trek.  Generally the biggest differences are in my position and the electronic shifting (amazing).  The shifting has now become more second nature (so I don’t have to think so much).  I am very happy to have the “Purple Butterfly”!!

*I had my first triathlon of the season.  It was a small half iron distance race in Greenville, SC called “Mountains to Main Street”.  The timing of this race fit perfectly in the training schedule plus it had a challenging bike course that would provide some solid climbing/training.  This was the first (and likely last) time for this this race, but it was very beneficial to gauge fitness, nutrition, etc for a little over 3 months away from IMMT.  **Race report to come!!**

Lowlights from the month:

*I had an FTP “re-test” on the first Monday of this four-week block and it did not go as expected.  In hindsight, I was able to identify some things that did not help me with my recovery from the weekend workouts and things I would definitely do differently, but it is always about learning and growing.

*I started having some foot/ankle issues that kind of came out of the blue.  The week before my first race it had gotten bad and I was very concerned.  I saw my PT and babied it all before the race (no running that week) in hopes that it would be ok race day.  All the details will be in my race report, but I was able to get through the run without too much discomfort or concern that I was making anything worse.  The week after I saw my PT, massage therapist and I really focused on recovery (I think my massage therapist did wonders for it).  I only had one run (that I ended up cutting short) to gauge how it was doing post-race. I believe I am through the worse of whatever made this “issue” come up, but definitely gives me something else to have to really concentrate on to “keep happy”.

Three months down and three months to go for Ironman Mont Tremblant.  HALF WAY THERE!!!!

Month #3 Totals:

Swim: 26,187 yards (14.9 miles)

Bike: 384 miles

Run: 57 miles

Other: Only one 30 minute yoga session (need to do better!!!)

One Half Iron Distance Race

Total Time: 41 hours 18 minutes

Tags: Ironman, Training