2 weeks to go until possibly the biggest race of my life.
Bussleton Ironman. If you don't know what an Ironman is. It involves a 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike ride and a 42.2 km run. Yes that's correct. A marathon after riding the equivalent of Newcastle to Taree.
I have done big bike races previously that I have held in high regard. But none have been the culmination of a promise I made to myself nearly 25 years ago. "I want to to do an Ironman Triathlon one day".
Thinking back over this year I can't remember a year that I have crammed so much in to. I went over seas 3 times to learn the most amazing therapy system Amino Neuro Frequency Therapy (ANF). I returned to the sport of triathlon for the first time in 18 years and completed two half Ironman triathlons. Did a half marathon and two epic long distance trail runs over very challenging terrain. This year has been non stop from early on and to look back over the last 11 months to see what I and the business has achieved is nothing short of amazing. To think I have done all the things I have this year and still be getting ready to step up to the start line in 17 days is very cool. Knowing what I have done and knowing me. If I have have know what I was going to be doing this year in the lead up I am fairly sure I would have made some excuse to put it off for another year. But I didn't and so here I am just over 2 weeks to go.
For the last ten weeks I have been training away at my program faithfully and not thinking much about what is coming up. That has changed over the last week or so and for most of my waking hours I have been doing a lot of thinking about what is coming up. Being my first Ironman I really don't know what to expect. But at the same time the self imposed and external expectations for times and performances have begun plaguing most of my waking thoughts.
Throw in a shoulder injury that has not wanted to settle. Self doubt and all the old demons have started to rear their ugly heads again and self doubt has plagued my thought processes for most days.
I have been doing my own therapy on myself with some success and have started physiotherapy treatment and it seems to have helped a bit. The swim which one my strengths has now become a major stressor as my belief that I can get through 3.8 km swim well has now plummeted as all attempts of swimming has been met with pain and discomfort since the injury occurred.
My old injury at the start of the year the dreaded Plantar Fasciitis has been great so far and the 50 km of running per week has steadily been getting easier and a little faster. I still regularly use ANF therapy to keep inflammation at bay and this consistent load of running was actually starting to give me some confidence about the race.
My original goal of going in or around 11:00:00 seems a long way off at the moment and my self doubt has steadily been eating into the bravado I felt earlier in the year. I don't know what time I will end up with. I don't know what is going to happen. I do know that unless there is some sort of major problem I will cross that finish line. I will do my very best all the way to the finish line and I will become an Ironman.
The rest of it. Well who knows. There is always another race. There is always the opportunity to test myself and go outside my self imposed limits.
If you do read this and think you might like to follow along and see how I go. you can download the Official Ironman Tracker app. My race number is "1304". My ever crazy wife Wendy is also doing the Ironman has race number "1369" and one of Total Performance Centre's regular class participants Anthony Corcoran is backing up after Hawaii Ironman his number is 1210.
Stay healthy. Stay true to you and follow your dreams. If you do that the rest of it is easy.
Mick Rand.