Ironman 70.3 T-1

It’s arrived.  T-1!! I have spent the last 9 months thinking of this day, from the moment I got the notification “Congratulations, you have secured a place for Ironman 70.3 Dublin”!  I have spent the last 12 weeks living my life by a plan that’s been stuck to my fridge door since the 11^th of May, with swims, cycles, runs, cycles and runs, races, days off and a few sessions skipped.  And here is it!  This time tomorrow I’ll be out of the water, on my bike and hopefully somewhere in and around Sandymount, about 10k down, 80 to go. 

Tomorrow I am taking part in my first Ironman 70.3.  I never doubted this day would come, I knew it would be emotional, but I never really thought of what it would be like.  I’m sitting here in my apartment, a notebook of lists to my right, three gear bags laid out on the floor with all the requisite bits and bobs sitting on top, ready to be packed and taken to the drop off points in Dun Laoghaire and Phoenix Park.  I’m trying to focus on the logistics because it will stop me from breaking down in tears and laughter!!

I was an active child and not too bad at sports, but never excelled hugely. I was a typical university girl, finding booze, boys and beauty products always much more attractive than a session at the gym, on the roads or in the pool.  About 11 years ago I started working out in the gym because I’d been asked to be a bridesmaid and my vanity made it damn sure I was not going to be the ‘heavy one’…and eight years ago I started running.  Slowly at first, then a little faster. I completed one marathon, gazillions of other distances and got well and truly hooked.  Three years ago I changed my training focus, got a new personal trainer, which exposed me to a newer, healthier and happier way of training….and I started to get evil thoughts about triathlons. I couldn’t swim very well, so that was always going to be a struggle, but I was willing to give it a go.  Five triathlons, one panic in the sea, four teary starts and I am now one day away from starting my very first Ironman 70.3.

My goal since November 2014 has been to make it to the start line. And it’s looking like I’ll tick that box! And after that it’s – finish the swim, start the cycle, finish the cycle, start the run, finish the run…and get that IM70.3 medal and t-shirt.  There are times I look at myself and can’t believe I’m doing this. Who do I think I am?  I’m 38 years of age, I weigh 71.4kg, I’m neither fast nor furious, what makes me think I can swim 1.9km, then cycle 90km and finish it off with a 21km run.  What kind of idiot are you?  And then I look back at all I’ve achieved in this area. I have never backed out of a race, I’ve finished every race I’ve started, I’ve usually (if not always) finished in and around the times I’ve set myself. I can do this and I will do this. Slow and steady, you’ll get there.

The thoughts that are going through my head right now are crazy “I can’t believe I’m doing this” “I’m doing this!” “What if I miss a cut off” “You’re going to nail each and every one of these”  “I’m so tired, how am I going to do this” “Your body and mind won’t let you down!” “I want to cry, why do I want to cry?” “I hope my blue onesie fits me” “I kind of wish I’d bought a new onesie!” “At least people will be able to spot me in my blue onesie” “I’m wearing my medal for three days afterwards” “People think I’m joking” “I’m not!”

I have the most amazing set of friends and family who are all supporting and cheering me on this Sunday.  The emails, notes, texts, calls and cards I’ve gotten over the last few weeks have been so amazing and so emotional.  So emotional that I can’t read any of them today.  I’ve had family and friends cheering from abroad, my mid-late 60s parents travelling 120km to Phoenix Park, family with children and baby-bump out on the roads, friends with home-made banners, friends getting up at 5.00am to drop me to the start and cheer me out of the water, friends with children in tow likely dragging them up and down Chesterfield Ave all to cheer and support me. It is amazing and makes me very emotional. I can’t imagine what I’ll be like tomorrow.  And while I really want to finish this first and foremost, I also want to enjoy it. I want to cross the line with a smile on my face and legs on my body!!

It’s now 9.50am and I’ll have passed the Eastlink Bridge by now and be on my way down the quays towards the West. The sun is shining outside. Tomorrow is going to be a good day.  It’s going to be my day. 

Now I better go shower and change and get bag dropping or there’ll be no bike for me to hop on tomorrow.

What's next for Nemo...

Yello!  I’m back…what from I have no idea, as I haven’t actually been doing much…well apart from enjoying life as a lady of semi-leisure / semi-lady of leisure.  It’s soon to come to an end though, in fact it has started to come to an end. 

I may not have been flushed down the toilet and set free, but I think I'm on my way down the drain pipe...Monday through Thursday my alarm goes off any time between 6 and 7am, which let’s face it, for someone who doesn’t actually work, is early! I arise and go about my exciting, much loved part time job as a trainer – personal trainer, running trainer, class instructor.  I’ve finished the course with all the colourful, some loved, some despised characters and am now a fully qualified, fully insured part time PT! 

Now why, Nemo, if this is a much loved part time job would you not do this full time, I hear you ask?  And the answer is I am not sure I really know.  I think primarily it is much loved because it is part time, secondly I have a mahoosive hole in my not so mahoosive savings pot which needs plugging and I’m not sure the first year embarking on a new career is the best time to plug such a hole, thirdly I don’t know if I’m very good at this or indeed if I want to not wear a normal bra for 5 out of 7 days of the week, take three showers a day and look longingly at my dresses and skirts in the closet wishing I could have a girly day and finally, I am not a risk taker. Never have been, never will be (and no, I don’t want to change, that’s the whole point, this is me, conservative, sensible, not a risk taker!) and therefore the thoughts of taking myself out of the corporate world for another year to see if I can make a success of this, then possibly fail and have to go back into the corporate world after two years, is a risk too far for me. 
Nope! So for now, for me, I’m embarking on life as a PTPT (part time personal trainer J), while holding out for the relatively highly paid job that will plug the mahoosive hole in my sub-mahoosive savings pot, will pay my approx €1800 a month rent, bills and commitments and allow me time and energy to train for an ironman 70.3 (did I not mention that?) and progress my PT-PT business.  Life is good!

Procrastudying

AGH!! I'm studying!  Well actually if truth be told, I'm not studying. I have a full fridge, my morning run done, an immaculate apartment, a wash on, another in the dryer and another waiting to go on. I've decided on this evening's dinner and it's already half prepared.  How come when the words study or exam creep into my vocabulary I become Most Efficient 'Housewife' Ever (without having a house or being a wife!) or Procrastinator Extraordinaire!

I'm studying to be a PT-PT ... I think I explained that yesterday. I've two theory and two practical exams to do. I studied rather well for the first exam and got 89% (raging with those 11 I got wrong!), but as a result I'm kinda thinking I just could not be arsed putting in any more effort for the second (and universally understood to be the more difficult) second exam tomorrow.  Two of the 'less sharp tools' in the proverbial shed just passed the first exam (coincidence?!) and so I've come to the conclusjon that I should have enough to get by on exam 2 and so cannot bring myself to read another training program, training system, a table on fats or micronutrients...to say nothing of the entire set of principles of training.  Don't get me wrong, I am a good trainer-in-training, I take my work seriously, I want to do well, but I just don't think I can bring my (dehydrated!) brain to the point where it's going to absorb anything that's going to help me answer multiple choice questions on this stuff tomorrow evening.  Besides, I have over 24 hours to panic and cram...right?!?!

A friend of mine always reminds me of a mutual friend of ours who during final year exams in university chose shopping over studying. She's a happy, successful, fulfilled woman today. I think I might take her lead on this...  I'll let you know on Wednesday if it proves a wise tactic for Nemo!

Back again

Back again...and not sure I've anything to say.  Well, lots has happened and nothing has happened.  I still have no job, no house, no husband, no kids (TV is back working though!)...I started and have nearly finished a course to become a fully fledged, fully qualified personal trainer.  Yup. I'm going to become the female equivalent of Super PT!  Well at least I'd hope so.  See I'm still a bit confused. I like it, I like training, I like helping people, motivating and inspiring them. But I'm just not sure I want to do it all day, every day.  I'm rather impatient at times, intolerant of those who are not driven and motivated to be successful. It is a fault of mine, I know that, but if I had to try to motivate people who don't really want to, then I'd probably end up injuring them.  Not the best advertisement for a personal trainer!  But I do love the buzz when it goes right, when it goes well, when the person loses the weight, runs the 5k, cycles Howth Head, feels fitter and stronger.  And boy do I love training myself!  But then I think of putting a skirt and heels on, putting on make up, going back into the corporate world (or version thereof!) and I do like it, want it, get a buzz from it.  Perhaps I am to have a dual career?  Perhaps I am not to have just one job, but oh what's this they call it??  Multiple income streams!!! 

Well doesn't that sound fancy?!?!?  I could have a 9-5 Monday through Friday job (or a 4 day a week??  Do they even do those anymore?!), a PT PT (part time personal training!) business one evening and Saturdays/two evenings and half day Saturday, throw in a bit of lecturing one evening a week, iron man training...Oh if you could also throw an additional day in the week that would be cool too!!  I think I may have bitten off more than I can chew...Did I not mention the ironman before??

Any suggestions, views, opinions, feedback on how I might make this potential new lifestyle work so that by 40 (few more years!)...please send on a postcard or post on the card below :-)