I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with friends and loved ones. I sure did, surrounded by my family.
Not only was yesterday the day after Christmas, and Boxing Day if you're reading this from Canada. Exactly six months from yesterday, June 26, is Ironman Day. And exactly six months from this very minute I will be luxuriating in rest and recovery!
In the meantime, my training plan is coming into focus and I'll share that with you very soon. I'm also getting ready for my first race of the season--a 1/2-marathon in Miami on January 30th. The running mileage is increasing every week--I'm up to 9 miles for my long run--and I'm feeling good. I love an early-season race. It keeps me off the couch in the dead of winter. Unlike many of you east of the Mississippi, we have been blessed with balmy temps and sunny skies this December. It unfortunately didn't make for a white Christmas, but it does make for nice running weather. (If you did get hit with the blizzard this past weekend, I hope you're all safe and warm.)
I met with my triathlon coach this morning to discuss the final details of my overall Ironman training plan. As I sat there staring at the multi-colored spreadsheet packed with numbers and training jargon, I took comfort knowing that even if I don't know what I'm getting myself into, she does. The big picture plan, I can deal with. The details are what send me into hyperventilation. She's there to give me the details, to tell me whether to focus on endurance or speed, and to talk me off the ledge should I need it. On my way out, we laughed that I'm about due for a meltdown. I've been lucky--2010 has seen many ups and few downs. And if I'm being realistic, I should expect a serious challenge to my luck come May. This very long training period is necessary not just for physical preparation--but also, and perhaps more importantly, for mental, psychological, and emotional preparation.
There's not much else to report at this time. I just wanted to poke my head in and say hi and Merry Christmas!
It's so funny that the details are what bother you. The "big picture" is usually what frightens people. With my graduate students, for example, they get overwhelmed with "getting their Ph.D" or "finishing their dissertation." So I tell them to enjoy the process & just take it one day at a time. But you already do that really well. So what advice do I give someone who doesn't mind the big picture? Maybe...when the little details freak you out, remember each one takes you to the finish line! :-)
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