Since I moved down to Florida, I vowed to be outside enjoying the sun more then inside. I also vowed to challenge my body to it's full potential. Thus in 2005 I began to run races. Prior to this point, I would run with my Dad in Pennsylvania every now and then and he has truly allowed me to understand that I can utilize running as an outlet for stress relief, and confidence. But in Florida, training for runs to some people seemed a way of life. I started with a friend/and dietitian to whom I looked up to, and we trained after work in a park close by. The first race I competed in with Nancy was the St. Patty's Day- 5 k at John Prince Park. I will never forget the feelings I had as the gun shot went off, as I pushed through the "side stickers" on mile 2, and the feeling of accomplishment when I crossed the finish line without once walking. As soon as the race was over, I went on to active.com to look for the next close event.
If you know anything about me, I am competitive at heart, and I love to push myself to the limit. This is not only in sports, but through my relationships and situations I pursue in life. Sometimes this is a very positive thing, other times I admit, it could be dangerous. Needless to say, now, 5 years later I have competed in numerous running, biking, swimming events and I started to really enjoy triathlons, and adventure races. The thing about it is, I have never truly trained on a strict schedule. Every now and then I will place in my age group, but I am now looking to move to a higher level of competition.
My Goal is to Complete a Half Iron Man Competition which is 70.3 miles on November 14th in Miami. I had this revolution on Friday, after working at a health fair within a retirement and assisted living community. One of the residence at the community appears to be recovering from a stroke. He was with family members and a physical therapist, relearning how to walk. The determination and the look of perseverance on his face was immeasurable. I had been contemplating the Half Iron at that point for some time, but at that moment, something clicked.
So Friday, after work, I got on my bike at my house and road north on A1A. This is a very typical route that I have completed numerous times with the Stormriders, however today, I had on my mind training. I rode for 27.9 miles. IT WAS a GORGEOUS DAY, and I felt good, not great, but good. I averaged 17 miles into the wind, and 19 miles with the wind. After the ride, I swam 30 laps. Throughout the swim, I realized, I need to find a training schedule, maybe a few training buddies, and most importantly I need to be committed.
If you know anything about me, I am competitive at heart, and I love to push myself to the limit. This is not only in sports, but through my relationships and situations I pursue in life. Sometimes this is a very positive thing, other times I admit, it could be dangerous. Needless to say, now, 5 years later I have competed in numerous running, biking, swimming events and I started to really enjoy triathlons, and adventure races. The thing about it is, I have never truly trained on a strict schedule. Every now and then I will place in my age group, but I am now looking to move to a higher level of competition.
My Goal is to Complete a Half Iron Man Competition which is 70.3 miles on November 14th in Miami. I had this revolution on Friday, after working at a health fair within a retirement and assisted living community. One of the residence at the community appears to be recovering from a stroke. He was with family members and a physical therapist, relearning how to walk. The determination and the look of perseverance on his face was immeasurable. I had been contemplating the Half Iron at that point for some time, but at that moment, something clicked.
So Friday, after work, I got on my bike at my house and road north on A1A. This is a very typical route that I have completed numerous times with the Stormriders, however today, I had on my mind training. I rode for 27.9 miles. IT WAS a GORGEOUS DAY, and I felt good, not great, but good. I averaged 17 miles into the wind, and 19 miles with the wind. After the ride, I swam 30 laps. Throughout the swim, I realized, I need to find a training schedule, maybe a few training buddies, and most importantly I need to be committed.
Saturday morning I swam in the ocean with my "Muddy Buddies" aka angels. We prob
ably did about 1/4 mile to 1/2 mile. You may ask why I call them angels, mostly because we watch over each other through the rip currents, and crazy ways of the water.This morning I ran 5.5 miles at a very slow and steady pace. I listened to "A broken melody" soundtrack by Jack Johnson. The music kept me alive, feeling free and hoping/praying that we find a solution to the oil spill. Florida is such a beautiful habitat for marvelous creatures, and I feel so blessed to be alive and well here. I hope our community can come together to protect our oceans and wildlife.
My job today, is to find a training schedule that I can feel confident with and apply it to my day to day life. The pursuit on the road less traveled on begins....
No comments:
Post a Comment