An 80 Year Old's Journey Toward Ironman Waco 70.3 Oct 6th - Day 8 and Day 9

 Just didn't get the post out here and another day happened.  This is an "easy week" and it stinks. Taking  it easy has allowed all kinds of other duties to get in the mix.  End of story is that I still feel tired from all the work and the oppressive humidity and heat, leaving me sapped of strength.  No wonder I don't take many days off.  Seems I can't handIe days off.   It's pretty obvious  I  don't have the discipline for resting and recovering.  

I did get in a sweatfest run of an hour and ten minutes  a couple of days ago.  The heat drained me down and I could feel the residual effects a long time. 

Really, right now along this journey, it doesn't look good for the home team.  I will pray.  Maybe a few hands clapping would keep my sprits elevated sufficiently to get past these bad patches alone this journey.  

But, I am 80 years old and not many my age get to live like this.  Not many get the opportunity to have this journey, to succeed wonderfully or to fail miserably.  I praise God for this journey whatever the result.  I am so blessed.

An 80 Year Old's Journey Toward Ironman Waco 70.3 Oct 6th - Day 7

 Day 7.  This makes a week and I haven't bailed yet.  Maybe I do have a little courage left in this old psyche after all. Yeah, I've actually made a week without quitting.  I won't say it didn't cross my mind a couple times. 

I can remember in a marathon and thinking I'm done.  I can't take another step.  But something inside said, "Yes you can. Just take one more step."  I did, then fought myself to take another and managed to finish the marathon. It wasn't pretty but it was one of my "finest hours."  

I guess that's what I am looking for here among a lot of other things,  to have the courage to go on as far as courage can take me and have another "finest hour," and another "well-done" from God.  Maybe when this is over I will have a little different vision of myself.?

Today was another easy day on an easy week.  I did my weight/strength/flex exercises and did a hard bike ride.  I guess that knowing I wasn't going to ride that long brought out the beast in me and I hammered the course on my indoor trainer. Seems I have enthusiasm to go with more courage, and as long as that lasts, I am graterful.  A good day.  Thanks God.

below:  the link for the beginning of this journey.

https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5768864484024943517/7734551309800761232

An 80 Year Old's Journey Toward Ironman Waco 70.3 Oct 6th - Day 6

 An easier day, I guess.  Since the last three weeks have been a lot heavier than most other times during this year, I thought it time to back off a bit.  

It's my usual way to go from can to can't when I decide to do something. That's works against me sometimes. I don't know how many times at  this time of the year, training for fall endurance sports, that I l lived in a state of exhaustion and brain-dead thinking.  The heat and the training pretty well tap me out most years There isn't a lot left for others or myself.  Then I am forced to take a day off or two.  But the training doesn't get going again because I have taken myself in way too deep and the fatigue doesn't just go away at the first invitation. 

Today, I did the "bad boy" weight, strength and flexibility exercise session.  In that are 60 push-ups.  It is amazing how much easier that gets as I continue this regimen.  Last year I did 81 push-ups on my 80th birthday  (the one extra push-up was for next year in case I am no longer living). 

I also went to the  health club to try out using a treadmill. It worked pretty good.  My knee started hurting midway through but gave up and settled in to doing its duty. I think this is going to work out to maintain a faster run.  

Came  home and did 30 minute plus bike ride with some hard intervals, then got on the tractor and started on some work I have been putting off.  

And that was my easy day.  This may not work out for Ironman Waco 70.3 but even if it doesn't I am enjoying the journey.  Praise God.

An 80 Year Old's Journey Toward Ironman Waco 70.3 Oct 6th - Day 5

 Not a bad day. Did the "Bad Boy" workout with weights, push-ups, planks and a long list of other exercises. It takes a little over an hour but I don't count it toward the total hours of training for the week. I did a 2 hour plus indoor trainer ride and got intense with it toward the end. Yeah, I feel good about it. 

Cannot help but wonder how I will bear up when training ramps up a notch.  This will probably be my best week of the year, but this has been quite the year of setbacks.  Storms, floods, flooded in, COVID, the flu, a tree fell on the house, outdoor plumbing tore up, the air conditioning went out, our well quit and the brakes started screaming like the wheels were coming apart. Nothing has happened in the last few days.  We will see.

I have thought about it, but I am surprised I have not pulled the plug and given up yet.  It would be very easy.  Who would really know or care except my wife.  She thinks I can do it.  Silly girl, seems to see me larger than life.  I guess a goal would be to become the person she thinks I am.

An 80 Year Old's Journey Toward Ironman Waco 70.3 Oct 6th - Day 4

 Another good day.  Did a sweaty run this morning and an indoor bike ride this afternoon.  I did a flex session this morning as well.    

For the life of me, I just can't see how this is going to work.  Divine intervention is all I can hope for and maybe God wants me to get to this stand of reality so He can use me.  I don't pretend to know God's plans and will resign myself to letting  Him make mine.  

It still doesn't seem like training, I guess because I don't have a plan.  I am doing t he work but I don't have a plan.  I feel vulnerable.  I guess that might me cause for some of fear in the world.  It would seem most don't have a plan.  We just go about eating, drinking, and procreating like cattle on a pasture.  Maybe the best cure for fear and wantonness is to give it to God?  Maybe I am the broken enough point to do that.  I'll pray about this.  There!  See I already have a plan  

An 80 Year Old's Journey Toward Ironman Waco 70.3 Oct 6th - Day 2

 Lots of other things going on.  Life happens.  But, I did get the "Bad Boy" done.  "Bad Boy" is what I call  my hardest and longest strength and flexibility session - about an hour nonstop.  Later that day did a 2 hr and 10 minute ride on my indoor trainer. It wasn't a high-five day but I feel satisfied with it considering everything.

Somehow I feel this is an uphill battle.  I look forward to the day when I feel the rhythm of training again like I did for Ironman Texas in 2017  I need some outdoor rides and longer runs.  I wrote I would try to put something out daily.  It' late.  I am tired.   God bless 

Beginning - The Journey Toward Ironman Waco 70.3 Oct 6th

 

Here's the plan.  Ironman Waco 70.3, October 6, 2024.  

I am going for it. It is going to be a tall order for an 80 year old, with a bum left knee.  It is my plan to try to post daily on this effort, regardless how boring, repetitious, and uninteresting as the training day might have been.  

The vision of this won't let me loose so I am taking this as far as I can.   Every  training day completed will be a gift from God.  I will take these days on and go as far as I can with it.  If I make it all the way for the event  - major miracle - I will be over the moon. But in this heat and humidity, whatever journey I can accomplish will be a blessing.  

I have added all this up and it doesn't look good but I  have to try.  It has been a few years since I tried anything that could inflict severe pain and defeat upon me.  I feel the calling to the quest, no matter how far I make on that  journey.   

I know.  I am too old for this.  But what do I have to lose at 80 years old anyway.    It will be hard.  It's hard already and I can either "cry in the storm or dance in the rain."  Never been a good dancer but I'm training for it.

Today's Training  

 I did my strength/flex session and ran for 52 minutes.  (goal 3 hours 30 minutes). 

Will do an indoor bike session for an hour (goal 4  hours)  

I swam essentially race distance yesterday.