It's All Gu'd

I haven’t written in a while. But I have a good explanation for that: I went back to school. Ah, school. I do enjoy learning and reading and networking and the good ol’ paper-writing challenge (sometimes), but I have to admit this school-gig is a bit tougher now that I’m an Ironman-in-training. These days, I say goodbye to Tim on my way to work Monday morning and speak my next words to him Wednesday night after returning from my long post-work run. I now show up in class on Mondays and Tuesdays with wet hair (that doesn’t do much for networking, I know) and reeking of chlorine from the UCI pool (I love that smell!).

If only I could figure out how to get my Business & Government readings into a podcast, my bike rides would be so much more educational.

But as Tim reminds me, we only have three more weeks of intense workouts. And then, the almighty Taper. Tim and I are both clinging to thoughts of the Taper. Tim is looking forward to not-so-early morning bike rides and I am looking forward to a bit less rushing around from work to my workout to class or piles of homework.

It’s unbelievable how far we’ve come in training…and a bit mindboggling to know that we’re closer than ever to Race day. This month, we’re concentrating on miles and more miles – riding 100+ miles on Saturdays, followed by 60-90 minute runs, followed by long swims and longer runs on Sundays, followed by the usual mix of swimming, biking and running during the work week.

We do realize how much we’ve been focused on training. There are friends we haven’t seen. Calls to family members we haven’t made. Books and magazines we haven’t read. Haus of Pizza pizzas we haven’t eaten. And the list goes on. But we’ve got to stay in this zone just a little while longer. November 22 is looming and we have got to be ready.

I will say this for Ironman training; you spend a lot of time in your mind. Sure, you spend a lot of time building muscles in your arms and legs to carry you for 140.6 miles over one day, but you also strengthen your mental stamina. For the record, my mental stamina gets a boost every time I look at my pink tri shorts (that’s right, I went pink).

So, it’s all good. The training, the school-thing, work, our non-existent social lives, the constant aroma of sweaty racing apparel filling our apartment, the buckets of sports-drink powder that clutter our kitchen, the never-ending consumption of Chocolate Outrage Gus… We’ve only got a little while longer.

(Perhaps I should say instead: It’s all Gu’d.)