The Road to Louisville blah blah blah

You might read this post and think that someone else is writing it. It's Cranky Amy and it's time to buck up. 

Six months of training starting ~ February with winter base before that. The beat goes on. We're into the longest run, bike and brick (bike/run) segments but closing in on taper where the volume goes back down. I really do want to go to Louisville and enjoy it but I'm just ready to get there. I've reached that point in Ironman training where I just don't care anymore...bring on the event so I can go on with my life instead of cranking out hours and hours and hours on the bike and runs. 

On the positive side: I'm not over-trained or injured (knock on wood), have my nutrition and hydration down, and have come up with a few Jedi mind tricks I will attempt during the race :)

It's been one of the hottest summers (ever?) in Kansas City and we've had weeks and weeks with the majority of the days in a week being 100+ degrees. It's sad to see brown grass and vegetation everywhere. I've learned to cope up to a certain point with hydration and sodium intake, but have also dealt with heat rash and furnace-like conditions out there on the asphalt. After the Firecracker 100 on 7/7, I was seriously concerned that I might have something bordering heat exhaustion or heat stroke and had a horrible looking rash. It was fairly scary. Another bright side, though Louisville is in the 90's, the forecasts have been 5-10 degrees cooler than KC. Let's hope...

Last weekend fellow IMKYer Tami and I went out to Louisville to train and it was great to be reminded what a great venue it is. It really is a beautiful course. Now really is the time to focus on all the positive things, the good things. I AM thankful to have this opportunity to do this again and become a two time Ironman Finisher. I will hopefully execute the race FAR better than in 2010 when I didn't know what I  was doing and had the poison ivy incident. Do I always enjoy everything about the process of getting to Ironman? No. Is it good to take oneself out of a comfort zone and learn from this experience? Yes. It is worth it although it's tough sometimes. And lonely out there on the open road.

Another one of the many reasons for doing it has changed, and I find myself wanting to do other things besides THIS MUCH training. Fun things and spending more time with people. I do look forward to those things, and changing things up fitness-wise. I am really much better at and prefer shorter distances. I miss doing more strength training and also want to get my edge back.

So I know some people are going to read this and want to smack me :)  Just needed to vent! Time to go watch the Olympics...where there should be no shortage of motivation.