Two months in, making progress for Ironman

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With this being month two, I feel like I am really getting into the swing of my workouts.

I feel good about so many things that I’m doing.

My run is going really strong. My average heart rate is staying lower (which is good) and my pace per mile average is improving. I’m also happy with my swim.

I completed a 1,000-yard time trial and improved my time by about 40 seconds from when I last completed it at the beginning of March.

However, I continue to be frustrated with my bike speed.

I want to go faster and have more power but it hurts so much. My legs burn even though my heart rate doesn’t get that high.

It’s frustrating because I know the only way to improve this is just more time on the bike, pushing myself.

My friend Elizabeth Eaken, a triathlete who’s completed three full Ironman races, and member of the Seymour Multisport club, gives me lots of advice and encouragement.

She’s also been great because she has been going on a lot of rides with me.

We rode 50 miles together this past Saturday near Clearspring, which is very hilly. I had never ridden this route before and kept commenting on both the rolling hills and how beautiful it was.

She gave me a great quote: “Beauty is pain.”

This is so true for me right now! I’m working hard to get better, but it takes strength to just sit on my bike and endure the pain and burn in my legs.

I’ve got to keep working hard on this because I would like to average 17 to 18 mph on the bike at Ironman Louisville.

I think it’s possible, but I’ve got to suck it up and embrace the pain.

There is almost 5,400 feet of climbing on that bike course.

This means lots of practice on hills and practice with intervals and speed to be ready to tackle Iron Man Louisville.

While I’m working on enduring the pain right now, I am trying to be happy with the small, satisfying moments during these training rides.

The beauty will come in mid-October when I finish the bike leg of my race strong and head out to the run.

Stacey Parisi is a Seymour native and resident. Her columns will appear regularly in The Tribune as she trains to compete in Ironman Louisville 2015. Send comments to [email protected].

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