Bouncing Back

Well a year ago, someone at work told me that I would not find out how right away, but that my life was going to change somehow because of my Ironman Lake Placid finish.  I can't say much changed in my life over the 2011-2012 training season.  I began to think of myself as a real bad ass iron distance triathlete but that's about it.

Fast forward one year and a DNF later, and strangely I think I am a better person for the DNF than for the medal.  Odd I know.  I need a little more time to process this all before I go public with the news that I am a 2013 entrant. 

The few people that do know however have commented that it is more inspiring to see me bounce right back than to finish last year.  I also feel more humble, and am striving for a more balanced approach to all of this.  I think I feel and look more at peace depsite another year's enormous task ahead. 

As above, I need a little more time to process this all for myself.  I am still not sleeping at night.  I am OK till the lights go out, but when they do my mind is wide awake with the vision of my chain getting stuck in the crank out in Wilmington and three little letters: D...N....F....

Is it a great idea to enter another race a mere 6 days out from an Ironman start???  Probably not, but I entered a the Scottish Rite Freemason 5K on Saturday. I am hoping a halfway decent race helps erase my insomnia.

Two other things I have done- I set up my bike trainer on the absolutely highest resistance. For the next 1 year and 1 day I will grind out those intervals until I am in tears, going at 4 mph and feeling exactly as if I am in Wilmington. Next year I will own that stretch of road and I will be on a bike that will not break down. The other thing is that I have reviewed my second swim video.  I see what the coach is talking about-  I am like a windmill, constantly churning up the water and wasting a lot of energy pushing down.  My stroke is not fluid and efficient like Mr. Phelps.I'm working on straightening this out. Next year, I am going 1:30 or better in Mirror Lake. 

Here's the link to me churning away in the pool. It's mad exercise, but not not very fast or efficient in this manner.

www.http://youtu.be/lxT7tqGe86l

Also note that although I did not finish the race, I still got to take home the nice Ironman Tan!