The Beat Goes On
It’s funny how plans change, huh? Or, more like I guess it’s funny how intentions change. What we think we feel and we know can all change in the matter of months, weeks and even days!
Just a brief 8ish months ago, I was beginning to think that my plans to continue to race Ironman season after season were dwindling. There is just so much adventure to be had in the world…..I had the bug to do my two favorite races (Copenhagen and Wisconsin) but, I just wasn’t sure beyond that. A big part of that is because I have some big hopes of what I can do on the ultra running circuit (UTMB!!), along with some other FKT-type adventures on the bucket list.
But then, I didn’t get into UTMB this year. [UTMB is the Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc, a ~104 mile running race that happens in late August each year.] Of course, I had a contingency plan in the back of my mind, and to be honest, even I was a bit surprised about what it was!
I had been planing to race IM New Zealand in March regardless, to be able to get in a bit of triathlon fun before transitioning to UTMB as I hoped. I really do feel that triathlon has been a huge asset to my other endurance adventures. The endurance base you can build without a ton of miles and pounding on your body is really valuable when it’s time to transition to the other stuff.
So, since I didn’t get into UTMB, I had a bit more time this year to play with some options. And what rose to the top of things? Well, after 2016 when I swore that I would never do it again, I will be racing, once again, the dirty double of Ironman races on back-to-back weekends! With IM Texas and IM St George just a week apart this year……and never having done either of them….I couldn’t quite pick where to go. So, why not do both?! I historically race well doing this, even though the thought of returning to the training for it has me scared! The last time I did this I was 31, and a lot happens to the body — a lot has happened to my body — in these 4 years!! So I’m excited to see how I handle the training, how the strength of the Long Trail and my other adventures might help me with this now, and to see what I can do where I’ll no doubt be racing some of the best women at these North American races.
So, how is it looking? Well, after a whirlwind couple weeks in California where I managed to get sick not once, but twice, I am back home, and settling back into my routine. With New Zealand coming up fast, it is most definitely crunch time, so I’m happy to be feeling better, and I’m happy to have the base fitness of camp under me to be able to build on that in these next few weeks.
Speaking of: CAMP! Hillary and Maik Twelsiek moved their early season camp to Encinitas, California this year since they are now SoCal based, and it was SO MUCH FUN! It was a blast to ride some new routes and experience new adventures in the sun in January. The second spring camp is postposed this year as they are expecting kidlet #4, but stay tuned as we are assessing plans for a late season camp as well!
So, moral of my story today? Plans change. You might not want to do something one season, and the next, that’s all you want to do. That’s great. Embrace it! Do what excites you and gets you out of bed to train each day, because the early morning alarms and the fatigue will try to test your resolve! If you don’t have the excitement factor, it’s a much tougher battle. But, be careful, because you might end up signing up for 3 ironman in 8 weeks :)
And? If you’ll be at any of my three races this spring - New Zealand, Texas, and St. George, please let me know!