Taking the Plunge

I’ve contemplated writing a blog for several months now but never sat down and took the time to actually write, likely because I just didn’t feel motivated enough. I want to write about my training, experiences, and adventures in the world of triathlon. I’m not sure exactly how strong of a writer I am, as I tend to ramble quite a bit, but I thought I’d give it a shot anyway. It came together one evening a few weeks ago when I could not fall asleep because all I could think about was my past/future races. I thought if I wrote then perhaps the unrelenting thoughts would fade. I grabbed my keyboard, opened a word Doc and started typing away; the following is what I came up with. Be sure to keep in mind that I am not an English Major and I'm not particularly keen on editing and this will more so be a flow of thoughts.

 Just over a year ago I decided an adventure was in order, one I had dreamed about for the last few years but wasn't quite ready to tackle until I couldn't get the thought out of my head. Despite spending the entire summer (2012) with an injured knee, preventing me from racing any triathlons, I decided it was time to sign up for my first ever Ironman. This decision came with some reservations as my knee was not anywhere near healed and I knew I had a monstrous task ahead of me. After watching every video involving Ironman on Youtube and following Pro Athletes on social media, I just had to have my shot at it. With two Half-Ironmans under my belt it felt like the next step.

            Months of Physiotherapy followed and even more time off and before I knew it, the New Year had come and it was time to get into gear. I chose Ironman Coeur d’ Alene in Idaho as the race for me.

 Though part of it could be attributed to my friend, already an Ironman Canada Finisher, who would only join me if we were doing an “early season” race. June 23, 2013 was the date and I figured six months was enough time to prepare for this race. Go Time.

            The first few months started with getting back into shape, 3-5km runs at a very slow pace. At this point my knee was not giving me any big problems, I wouldn’t say it was 100%, but there was no pain, a good sign.

            I found a program online, printed it off and fell into a routine that became the center of my life. I found a passion for running outdoors in the winter (my first winter outdoors running) and turned the basement in a dungeon of cycling pain, granted the TV, and sometimes Josh, kept me company. I found a local swim group at the pool nearby and made that my key session to hit for swimming throughout the week.

            For most that do not know, the majority of triathletes are designated as very ‘Type A’ in both their training, diet and life. I DO NOT fall into this category. I am much the opposite, in the past I would workout when I felt like it and just go out and run or ride without any intention. My past results coincide with this type of training perfectly, they aren’t very impressive. I began to see the results of following a training plan that had intention and I liked it.

            Fast forward to the beginning of May. Training had been going well, not perfect, but hey, I’m no Type A so I figured I was where I should be. I decided that running the Scotiabank Calgary Half Marathon at the end of May, 5 weeks out from Ironman, would be a great test of my fitness and give me an idea how much work I had left to do. Three weeks before the Half Marathon I headed out for a long run on a Sunday. The run consisted of three 20min tempos at 75% of my Max HR with rest in between. While I had not been quite on top of my running, I knew this would be doable if I focused and pushed through. Things went well for the most part until the last 20min Tempo and by the end of the run my calves felt absolutely shredded. I wasn’t sure if I had hurt them badly or if it was just the same feeling as when you lift weights. I learned over the next few days that things were not great. I went to Physio and took time off running, but was still able to Bike and Swim. Between this run and the Half, I probably ran once a week, maybe 6km at the most.

            As long as I can remember, like many other athletes, I have always returned too early to competition after an injury. Despite knowing better and being 100% aware that running a Half Marathon with three weeks off is a poor decision, I went ahead with it anyway….IDIOT! I decided I would not “race” the Half, but simply run it….yeah, because we all know it won’t get competitive out there.

Next time: Calgary Half Marathon Race Report