The good news? My leg appears to be getting better. The bad? SLOWLY. Very Slowly.
After being asked by a friend this weekend why I have not posted in a while, I explained, “I wanted the blog to be about my journey to Ironman and instead its just a whine-fest about my leg injury.” She was quick to remind me that the injury is part of the experience. So, here we go! You get to hear more about my leg!
Where is the woman that said this at the close of the season last year?: “Now, I’m looking ahead to 2009 and hope to be able to complete an Ironman. It’s overwhelming to think about right now, but if I take care of myself and follow the plan I’m confident I’ll be able to do it.”
I’ve been replaced by someone who:
A. Did not take care of myself (stupid camping trip!) and
B. Has no plan right now.
The rest of my team is biking 40 and running 10, or something like that. I am on an indoor trainer in the easiest gear for a half hour with no running! I crinkled up the plan and hid it from myself. I need to wait (I hate waiting) until my leg is capable of running again before I can come up with a new map to IMFL.
My very supportive and experienced coaches think I’m throwing in the towel way too early. I need to take it a week at a time. Once I’m back into running, they will be able to help me and re-evaluate the plan. Apparently, if they can get me to ride 100 miles by the end of October, and run 18 miles by the end of October, I should still be OK. I really, really want to be able to do this! I really do. I’m not giving up, but I need to be realistic. Apart from the sprint tri on May 31st, I have been out of training since May 9th- not even able to aqua jog and therefore my fitness base has significantly deteriorated. I am far behind and the Ironman isn’t really something you can expect to finish with out preparation!
I set this goal for myself…to be an Ironman. I’m not going to fail, but the reality is that the injury is out of my control. I may need to postpone the goal. My husband has agreed that I can buy a community fund slot for either Utah or Idaho if I am truly unable to train for IMFL. I will wait and see how this progresses. Regardless, I’m going to be an Ironman!
I really hope IMFL works out though. I cleared my entire schedule and the majority of the non-mandatory, time consuming obligations are on hold until after November 7th. I won’t be able to have a nice, clear schedule this coming fall or winter. Plus I don’t want to travel to Utah or Idaho…at all.