Newfound Motivation

I had the meeting with my coach two days ago, and it seems that since then something has just clicked. I don't know if it was the validation that if I don't get out and get the proper amount of training done that the possibility of a DNF is very real or what. He also told me that if we were having this same conversation two months from now (which is two months before the race) that he'd tell me to pull out. That was a big wake up call. He pointed out my sessions on Training Peaks, and the fact that many weeks I'm only hitting 50% of the planned training sessions. What could I say? I can certainly EXPLAIN why I've been slacking, but that certainly doesn't EXCUSE it.

So... yesterday morning I woke up and got my butt out of bed for the first swim since this revelation. And it was actually a very decent swim. Probably my third 2300 meter swim, and I never felt fatigued at all. A little bored, yes, but tired - nope. Afterwards, when my work day finally ended, I hopped on the bike to do my 1:30 ride. I've begun to get very tired of doing what seems like endless loops around the park to get my rides in (okay, maybe more like 2-3 loops, not endless), so I headed out of the park after the first go round and made my way downtown to River Road and then back up to Brownsboro via Lime Kiln. By the time I reached Rudy Lane it was evident that I would be getting just at 1:30 in (a total of 21.6 miles). And considering I'm trying to keep my HR as low as possible, I was surprised to see my average pace was 15.1 mph (moving pace anyway - doesn't account for stop lights and a small break I took on River Road.)

Today, I'm feeling just as motivated even though I had a horrible nights sleep. I'm assuming it was a combination of the adrenaline post-ride and the aching I felt in my left knee and calf (side note: I have my second bike fitting scheduled for next week since I've been noticing knee pain for a few weeks now). I've also ordered some new Brooks Ghosts running shoes, as I found the Hoka Cliftons I purchased in April cause blisters and don't fit as well as my Brooks.

So my next task is to conquer a 4.5 hour bike ride this weekend, which will give me approx. 65-70 miles. Not only will this be my longest ride to date, but it will also take place on the Ironman Louisville course, which I've been wanting to ride for a while now. I honestly believe that knowing what I'm up against won't make it seem so intimidating and implausible come race day. And getting an idea of what the course looks like, what to expect, landmarks to gauge what's up ahead and how much further I have to endure are all things that can only help me on race day. Unfortunately it also looks like there is a chance of rain everyday for the next 5 days, including a 60% chance on my Saturday ride day. Blech. But... hopefully it will hold off and we can get it done.