You would think that I would be more tired, legs more sore, etc., but all that’s tired is my mind.
It’s the one thing that I’ve been working out lately.
It is a mental effort to just get out there. I really don’t mind going out to run for an hour, doing a regular swim workout or going for a two-hour ride during the week.
It’s the long weekend workouts that are so mentally tough.
I never thought that I’d be to the point where I feel like I could swim, bike or run forever.
In these last few weeks, I seem to have had workouts where I just hit that “sweet spot” in each sport.
It’s a pretty easy pace that feels comfortable and if I mentally stay in the game, could just go forever. It’s so crazy to say that though.
To give perspective, before March of this year, my longest swim was 2,000 yards.
It’s hard to believe that every single one of my swim workouts right now is at least 2,400 yards and my long swims are 4,200 yards.
I’d never gotten to a point on the bike where cycling was just cycling.
It was always so hard towards the end of a long ride, but when I rode by myself this past weekend I was just annoyed.
It wasn’t that it was too hard or my legs hurt or I was tired. I just wanted to be home.
I was on my bike forever (6½ hours).
I stopped back by my house half way through my ride to refill my water bottles and pick up some more nutrition.
My son was excited to see me.
He said, “Yay! Mommy you’re home!”
I told him that I was only halfway done and that I would be home before dinner.
He asked me if I really had to go back out and ride some more and before I could say anything, my husband answered him, “Well, she really doesn’t have to.”
He was right.
I didn’t have to finish my ride.
I could totally finish Ironman Louisville today.
There are no doubts in my mind that I am fit enough to finish. But these last few weeks are just as important as all of the others.
It’s crucial to complete each workout and not skip or cut them short.
I will be that much better off on race day when my body and mind have already been through all of this a million times.
I’ve been down this road of mental toughness, and I’m ready to toe the line.