Lesson number three hundred million.

Old man Napoleon made a good point the other day -a day quick forgotten due to the necessity to return indoors for a long bike ride. He accused me of reading too much. At the time I thought him a crazy old pro (ha!) However, thinking on it and reminiscing about last season, I remember completing the half iron distance with the ease of one training plan and a little self-discovery.
This year has been a little different and I found myself this morning asking why.

Upon reflection, the major theme reoccurring is the one of fear or, as I like to term it, a healthy respect! It's the classic fear of the unknown. The same way we sometimes increase the HeartRate a little when the movie heroin opens the bathroom mirror to get a comb in her unnecessarily under dressed state. Quickly closing it again to find the oddly dressed mass murderer lurking behind her. We know he will be there. He always is. Yet we still get "nervous". It is just like the Ironman distance to me. I know it's there. I know the distance values. I know there will be exciting views under the water as well as up the mountains. However, I haven't been there before. I have not tasted the undulating feelings that will be experienced during my time out on the course.

The natural reaction is to get educated. To read as many books and articles as possible to inform me as to how it will feel. That is where the problem lies. No one knows how I will truly feel. Not even me. I can read a hundred Triathlete magazine articles and learn all kinds of tips, but it is worse than being a pilot. All the stories we read in the sport is someone trying to one up someone else. It is an easy trap to fall in to. "listen to music to drown people out" "make sure you rack your bike right to not invade others space" "make sure when you finish your interval, you move out of the way in the lane"

It is so easy to get caught up in this hodge podge of wagging mouths and forget why I decided to do this crazy distance. The only thing I will hang on to is Maffetone's method. Everything else, as Napoleon has been known to say from time to time, is C'est la vie! The key is to learn from yourself. Learn your own mistakes and how to improve on them, so as to avoid in the future. We need to make some mistakes otherwise we will never truly learn and benefit from them. Don't read too much in to other's meal plans or race prep etc... Accept it as their individual preference. Nod in appreciation of the story and do something complete unique to yourself instead.

This is learning experience number three hundred million of this journey that is Ironman. Listen to yourself and don't get too caught up in others and the whole manic-ness of triathlon athletes. Enjoy the ride, so to speak. Relax. My father always says "it's a marathon, not a sprint". Sprinting through life is what I have been doing for thirty three years. Eating too fast. Walking to quickly. Flying too fast. It is time to ease back on the reigns a little and mosey along at a comfortable pace. Enjoy it, because before you know it, the journey will have passed you by.

Good luck to us all!