Ironman is a long day and can be a roller coaster ride of emotions. Knowing and expecting the highs and lows is one thing, having a plan in how to navigate and push through them is another. Last year prior to the Patriot's Half, Coach Jim shared a thought that has stuck with me ever since and one that I reflect on often: Know why you are out there pushing Kristen...it helps having that solidly in your mind before the start of the race so that you can revisit it often and successfully during the race." Why am I out there pushing? I suppose that's a complicated and complex answer, and a question we would each uniquely respond to. That being said, here are a few of my "whys" going into Saturday's race:
Through endurance sports, you are learning to see yourself as someone who can choose to engage in difficult things, get through them, and evolve in consequential ways.
Pre-Race ThoughtsI'll keep this short and sweet: I am going into the race with greater over fitness than last year, feeling better rested in general, and feeling at peace while overflowing with excitement to get out there and race. In many ways, I'm sad the race is already here and that my season will soon be coming to a close (it's been fun!) I'm not sure how I can put in such hard work towards a race and still get to race week feeling THIS excited and fresh, but I suppose that's the magic of quality coaching + a genuine love of the sport. And as coach would say, that's a wicked awesome combination 😉 Thanks for reading and following along in my journey this season! If you want to track me on Saturday I'm bib # 530 and you can follow along here.
4 Comments
The title of this post caught my eye because I almost wrote a very similar post with my own pre-race thoughts ;) I lost my "why" for a lot of this training cycle and that made it even more of a struggle. Congratulations on getting through all your training and best of luck on Saturday!
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10/14/2015 06:02:48 pm
Great post! One of the main reasons that I run is because so much of it is fun for me - from running on vacation to going on runs in my neighborhood park.
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10/15/2015 10:19:10 am
Good luck! Sounds like you're setup for a great day.
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About KristenKristen Chang is Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN), Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD) and triathlete residing in southwest Virginia with her husband and dogs. Follow along as she shares favorite fueling recipes, general wellness and sport nutrition tips and stories from her athletic endeavors. [Read More] Stay ConnectedRecent PostsThe Pursuit of Endurance
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