Go hard or go home

Yesterday was a hard workout day. First off, its my long week. Next week is rest/recovery week! I had scheduled an hour interval run in the morning and an easy hour spin at night. The run went well, besides feeling like I wanted to yack at one point because of the intervals, but that's to be expected.

Today I had a crazy busy day, and I had many things to do while the pool was open, so I had to do my scheduled swim for today, yesterday. I'm not being wimpy for doing two workouts in one day by any means, but when they are two intense workouts...then yeah, they are hard! It was a sprint workout, essentially. My main set consisted of 8x25 stroke non-free on the :35, 50 easy back, 12x50 FAST on :45, 50 easy back REPEAT. Reading this before I went to the pool, I thought, "ok not too bad, obviously I'll do backstroke for my non-free stroke".

Then I read coach's blog for the day. She was talking about pushing yourself, and training with people that are faster than you so you can learn to push through the pain. Go beyond yourself, and what not. This truly inspired me. Triathletes are used to training solo, for the most part. We get excited for group rides and runs! With my team mostly being located in KC, I train solo EVERY DAY. Long rides where I end up talking (or singing) to myself, lap after lap in my own lane, and hard runs with only the sounds of my feet pounding the pavement. Though for the most part, I push myself every day (it's the drive in me, the passion of the sport), some days are hard. Some days the motivation is just not there. It can't be 100% perfect everyday.

Today was not that day. I was going all out balls to the wall, FLY for my 8x25's. Now, that's only a 200, but STILL. Who voluntarily does fly? Ok, let me rephrase, of those who are not swimmers, and swimmers only...how many of us normal people CHOOSE to do fly? Besides my coach, and other crazy people she trains with, and Corky, I don't know any other triathletes that would choose this torture. The first two=solid. The next two, a bit more difficult...getting harder to breathe, but I was half way. The 3rd two...why did I choose fly? The last two...stay strong..its only two more! I did it. 8x25's fly. I pushed through and proved to myself that I was tougher than most. Training solo, where no one was watching me (besides the bored lifeguard, trying to stay awake), where my coach wasn't watching me to make sure I was pushing myself (except sometimes I feel like she can see me). Only ME. I was the only one seeing my times, knowing the pain in my upper body, and the deep breathing just to stay conscious. But you know what? I'm the only one crossing that Ironman finish line in August. And for that reason alone, I'd do it again.

*Note* I did end up doing the 2nd time thru backstroke because my shoulder almost fell off. Next time, though, its fly and fly only. WATCH OUT Ironman Louisville competitors..I'm swimming the whole thing fly.