Ironman Diary Days 10 and 11

Slow going this week so far and I think I needed this time.  I find quiet time, being alone and just thinking or taking all this in, is really refreshing.  Maybe this is as necessary as the hard training? The last two days I could lay down and the legs would feel like they were going "ahhh." 

However, I am behind on getting my long rides here.  The weather is so hot and humid that the long stuff outside doesn't seem that wise.  I am doing well healthwise as I have for years.  This has to be a blessing from God.  Sure I have my bad days sometimes, especially following  workouts in the heat and humidity, but I recover and can move on. 

Looking back at my records I find that I have averaged over 15 hours a week training over the last 5 weeks; the hottest part of our summer.  And that does not include the daily morning strength and flexibility workouts that lasts about 30-40 minutes.  I have ran everyday for over 111 days and I am an old guy.  This is not a brag. This is an expression of gratitude for my resilence, gratitude for finding this plant based eating program, gratitude for the life force and capabilities that God has extended me, and gratitude for the Grace of God, a  saving faith, that tells me however this turns out; God's got this.

Ironman Diary Days 8 and 9

Easier days and both about the same.  Short everything.  I did get in a 2000 meter swim which was good.  But, I am hoping to get some recovery in for a few days before continuing on.

And, it seems, that the when I start doing less, I beging to doubt I will ever make it at the ironman; or I even be able to complete the training.  When I do less, more seems so much harder to envision.  Isn't that so much like life?  We seem to respond to our present momentum. Or, the law of inertia:  "
a body in motion tends to stay in motion and a body at rest tends to stay at rest."

I have to fight the impulse to think about my age  and its prescribed limitation and how so few people my age even finish one of these thing.  I have to steel myself away from my lesser self so I don't believe the standard copy prescibed for a man my age.

But, I am not on any prescriptions; medical or otherwise.  I am not like the standard issue American man my age.  I have fought with myself to be a different kind of man, and tonight I ask God to help me continue in that fight.  And, as far as this ironman thing: live or die, fail of succeed: to God be the glory.   It's all about You, God.

Ironman Diary Day 7

A full week of chronicling my latest ironman journey.  Yes, I have been on this track a half dozen times before.  I would imagine those around me are tired of hearing about my ironman stuff:  old news, one failure or aborted attempt after another:  Ho Hum.

And so, I don't talk about my ironman venture much.  I might with people online but I am pretty much a secret agent for ironman here.   That's OK.  This is for God anyway. 

Sometimes it would be nice to share when this stuff gets hard.   Take today.  I didn't sleep well at all and woke up  feeling awful.  Coffee only made it worse, and I wondered how I was going to get the long run of the week done?   One step and then another was the only option and I did that.  Oh my, how many times have I done that; pulled a good run out of a bad morning; made a beautiful ending from an ugly beginning.  It  was good training for going on when I  feel rotten; good ironman training.   Two hours and fifteen minutes later, it was over.  There was gratitude, there IS gratitude.  And gratitude brings hope for tomorrow and the rest of the  miles of the journey.

Ironman Diary Day 6

Sometimes it seems I am far behind on this ironman business.  But, I find myself getting out of really sweaty clothes a lot, so maybe I am doing something right.  Today, I get in a short run and 20 mile ride.  And I feel decent enough about it, knowing I could do more.  And who knows what I could do if summoned to?  I guess that is the way it is sometimes, we don't know what we can do.  I would imagine most of us would surprise outselves if pushed serverely.

My motivation and gratitude are intact and I feel blessed by it all.

Ironman Diary Day 5

Had good workouts today.   I eat on a plant based whole food eating plan - no meat, dairy, eggs, milk, cheese, limited sugar, a little fat and oil as possible.  One of the great benefits to this eating plan that I have observed is that I seem to recover better than when I ate these things several years ago.  As an elder athlete conventional wisdom says I am supposed to recover more slowly, but that hasn't been the case.

What a blessing to be this old and this able all at the same time. Gosh, I hope I always have this sense of gratitude I do now for all God has given me.  This ironman journey, and this effort is for God first and my prayer is that He take it, use it: take me, use me.  I don't need the praise, but I need to give Him the praise for all He has done through even me.

Ironman Diary Day 4

A couple days this week I was too tired to finish a workout.  Could I need a rest?  Today, I only rode 30 instead of the planned 50.  Am I getting too old for this?  I am 74 flirting with 75 years old isn't this too old for the grind, the heat, the day after day thing?  If things remain the same there is no way I could do an ironman. 

All I know, really, is to just keep going, ignore the shortened workouts.  Try to get some rest, eat well and keep moving forward.  Isn't that the essence of the ironman mindset?  See,.I am almost there already. 

I think feeling this tired and worn out and yet believing it will get better, is essentially, exercising my faith. So, my body and my faith got exercised today.  Today still, I am thankful for that and the opportuity God has given me to try this ironman thing yet again, and to exercise my faith in the bargain.  I am blessed.

Ironman Diary Day 3

This was suppose to be a light day, but it was a real chore to get the couple small workouts in.  Tired? Yes, and I feel a little weird; have a headache, sniffles  and feel funny somehow.   Could it be that the last couple of days that  I mowed on my tractor - which has an exhaust leak somewhere I can't find - that I sucked in too much diesel exhaust - not healthy, I know.   Stupid?  So agree.

This is all said to say this:  I know better.  I should have done better.  But isn't it this way sometimes in all areas of life? We turn aside to what we pretty much know is not good for us for  a diversion from purpose  to pursue some momentary reward of a task or indulgence. 

When I started this journey, I made an "Ironman life" document that covered all these things I would need to do - and not do - to maintain discipline and purpose toward the goal; to
"keep my eye on the prized."  One of those things was to avoid undue outside work. Certainly diesel huffing would qualify as a negative ironman life activity. 

So all there is to do is try to get well; tell God I am sorry that I have wasted it so; and get on moving to the rhythm of the purpose.  A 50 mile ride awaits me tomorrow; another mile of the journey.  No diesel today. Hope and purpose for tomorrow.

Ironman Diary Day 2

Ironman Texas training was hot today.  A 37 minute run was a chore and was perhaps the hottest run I have done this year.  I guess the perservering heat has cut me down a bit.  I was so tired on my bike ride (trainer) after that and my swim was not that good either. 

But, I have learned through years of training for something:  Don't believe the moment for the real deal.  If it is going good:  it will change. If it is going bad: it will change.  Of course it is disconcerting when it is a day like today.   So, when I got back from the swim, I got on my small tractor and starting mowing pasture.  There is something about that activity which has a calming effect; calming to the extent that I can truly pray for thanks that I got through this day and am blessed to be on this journey

Ironman Diary Day One -

Ironman Diary Day One - 

Officially, I  began a formalized training program for Ironman Texas 2019 two weeks ago.  However, sometimes ideas come a little late such as this one.  But, I want  to track the thoughts and experience of the Ironman Life if only for myself.  If someone else gets something positive out of it, that would be great too.

 For me, the Ironman Life is not just about the training and the event.  They are just parts or benchmarks of the journey. The discipline and letting go required of living the Ironman Life and how to effect that is the larger story; the Miles of the Journey.  If I go through all this without learning some  profound things about myself, without it positively impacting the quality of my life and the richness of my faith, then the journey will not be quite as successful. 

The past two weeks have been good and motivation has been high.  Today, again I am making a late start I am sorry to say and I have a 6 mile run and a 20 mile bike.  The run will be tough in the heat.  I haven't done my morning exercises -  I have been doing these daily for 80 +days now and running everyday as well. My bad knee is only getting stronger, praise God. 

I have been keeping myself motivated by posting pictures of my last Ironman effort on my desktop.  I see these and the feeling of that comes back and I so look forward to the experience.  God bless me this day and every day on my Miles of the Journey.

T                                                        The morning of: need that coffee