To say I was nervous going in this past weekend is beyond an understatement.
Saturday: 100mi bike ride & transition run
Sunday: 15mi run
"Life begins at the end of your comfort zone." - N. Wlesch
100 mile bike ride, ok ... but 100 miles with a LOT of climbing I wasn't so sure about. Not only a lot of ups and down, but half way through we had to climb the biggest climb around ... Caesars Head. I'm training for a flat race, why do I need to be doing this ... to make me stronger. And, that it has. Not only physically but mentally too! Sure it was tough some times, but I learned I was capable of pushing through what I thought were physical barriers (which in turn were really just mental barriers that I had placed on myself).
Saturday could not have gone better. It was called "Ride for M.A.C." and they had 30, 40, 60 & 100 mile options. Since Ironman is right around the corner, Nicole & I decided to do the 100mile while several of our athletes did the shorter distances. It was great having everybody out there ... keeping each other accountable. =) There were great SAG stops and the support out there could not have been better. I highly recommend this ride to anybody in the future! The plan hadn't been to stay together since Nicole & I will be at different paces on race day. Or, at least I didn't think that was the plan. Nicole never got too far away. Sometimes I could see her, sometimes I couldn't. I just tried to keep the pace that I thought I would hold for the entire ride. As we got closer to the mtn there she was. Can I just say I have the best friend in the world. I had never done the mtn & and lots of reservations about it ... (climbing it on a triathlon bike & WITHOUT a compact crank). Having her there & singing no less =) as I went up that mtn goes beyond words. I was/am very grateful.
We may have gotten lost on the way back, but only ended up with 3 extra miles. With about 25 miles left to go, Nicole stopped waiting for me at the stop signs & made me finish it myself. Fighting my own battles and demons up all the hills. It was great. Having already climbed the mtn I had more confidence in myself. I knew I could finish strong. Mind over matter. When I pulled into the parking lot and saw the look of shock on Nicole's face (knowing she had finished a few short minutes before me) was priceless.
