Monday, September 1, 2014

Life After Lake George

Another half iron distance under my belt! This one was so much better than last year.  Physically and mentally it was all around a great feeling.  Last it was all about surviving, this year was about thriving.

Many thanks to all who made this day possible.  Thank God for the ability, resources (time, money, etc.), and support to be able to dedicate to training. Thank you to my family (whether there physically or in spirit) for the support.

Thank you to the volunteers and local law enforcement (NYSP) who kept us hydrated and safe.  I was impressed with several specific incidents in mind.  With 4 miles to go, a Warren County Deputy, on a traffic detail, said,"Looking strong."  Then there was an aid station on the run where it was all teenage boys, rocking out to some music blaring from a radio in a nearby apartment; it was refreshing to see the youth getting involved.  And then there was the girl who not only volunteered all day at the race (from 0600 to end), she then worked at an ice cream shop where my family got post-race celebration dessert!

My biggest accomplishment was staying out of my head.  I felt good pretty much the entire race, focused and mentally aware of form. I might have pushed a little too hard on the bike, paid for it on the run, but stayed strictly to the 5 minute run, 1 minute walk method (thank you Jeff Galloway). I definitely talked to myself a lot, kept me from getting in my head, giving myself pep talks to get through.  I made sure to drink every 15 minutes on the bike, which kept me hydrated (and focused on something).  I even had to pee on the run, but didn't stop (for fear of not being able to get up off the portajohn seat and being unable to get restarted running). I was skeptical of the 5 minute run, 1 minute walk method, because I might not start running again, but tried it during my training and have loved it ever since!

You would think with this race being done, I would be so over doing another race anytime in the near future. But now I'm looking at what's next, the training is part of the fun (at least for me). People say that you loose sight and loose the fun, but part of the fun for me is the training, seeing the results and how I got there.  The journey is truly the adventure; knowing the sacrifices and hard work and effort I put into the destination.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not ready to go out and do another half Ironman, but I'm ready to hit the road running, probably will tomorrow morning.

For my race splits, go here:  Race Results (Bib #163)
Here are the photos so far:  Race Photos (Excuse the emotion, but it was very surreal to have cut over 20 minutes off from last year!)

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