Training for Ironman Texas 2022 - Weeks 12 and 13 - Holiday Hanging On

 Last week was Christmas week and it was a food orgy of sorts.  Trying to train some though all the bad food choices, reaffirmed how important daily nutrition is to sustaining a training program like this.  Week like the one past make me wonder is I am ironman material at all.  

This week I go on with a little more resolve.  Momentum is hard to come back. "A body at rest tends to stay at rest," and so getting this rocket ship off the ground is going to take a lot of personal and physical energy.  This week will more or less determine whether I go on with this or not. If I can't pull myself together and push myself through this, then I don't need to play "let's pretend" that I am an ironman.  

Of course, I have prayed about and I am hoping to hear back in the form of increased motivation and discipline and purpose.  I am hoping that is the case but if it isn't I can do that too.  

So, off to the trainer to get part of my planned workouts done.  God help me.

Ironman Texas 11th Week Training - As If It Were My Last Christmas

 Christmas is upon us, and training is muddling through all the interruptions.  But Christmas is important too.  I think of all of those in my life that have passed and how it would be nice to have just one more Christmas with them. Things would be different.  I would be different, I believe.  

If there is one thing that endurance sports have taught me is not to take the life for granted.  Don't take your fitness for granted. Every workout won't be great.  Appreciate it when they are, like appreciating the people you love in your life while we are here together in this life. 

When all this is over, no matter how this ironman thing fleshes out, I will still want those I love to be in close in my life.  And so, I muddle thankfully through my training and grateful for relationships and the spirit of this season.  I want to take it in deep, as if it were my last Christmas and let it resonate within me and be thankful to God for these people and these moments. 

Ironman Texas 2022 Training - 10th Week - Age 78 - Enjoying Absurd Hope

 Yesterday I turned 78.  It was a wonderful birthday in which I was treated like a fat old, spoiled king.  It was really nice.  However, it was a mountaintop, and the air is too rare to live there.   But the message of love and caring in the experience gives me more impetus to train though I am not sure why.  Yesterday I did some mountain bike riding with a brick run thrown in.  I did an hour hard indoor riding session and felt so great.  These are great times with the birthday, the holidays, and yes, the training.  

I am so blessed to have this absurd hope that at 78 I can do the training and I can finish the event.  Crazy thinking.  But at 78 there is so much less to lose.  Age related disability is chasing hard and gaining on me.  And fail or not, praise God, I can still try and have a sliver of a chance to succeed.  Happy Birthday to me.  I am truly blessed.

Ironman Texas 2022 - 10th week -

 Somehow I am surviving.  It's like the marathon I ran in cold rain once:  just keep moving forward.  You don't have to see too far forward, just keep going forward.  And of course, the biggest stumbling block on my path the Ironman Texas is that old nemesis: ME.  I am the one giving in to the temptations to slow or stop, to get turned aside.  I am the one who dreams up every excuse to avoid extreme effort.  I am the one blaming others for slowing my progress down.  I am the one.  "We have met the enemy and he is us." 

Last week was the best in total hours and workout qualitiy so far on  this journey.  For what overcoming I did to get there; thank you God.  For the good attitude that vibrates my being this morning: thank you God. 

And so, I move on. It is a slow start this morning.  Gave in to the temptation to revel in last week's sucess too long. Not it is time to get moving again into the experience of another week on the journey.