The Need for Speed

To say that the feet were itchy during the normal two weeks off, down time after an ironman, would be an understatement. The lingering and somewhat nagging feeling that I hand't pushed myself enough on the day of Couer D'Alene was ever present in the deep - and shallow - parts of my mind. The answer needed to be found as to why there was a lack of confidence in my body's ability to be pushed to move faster in an iron distance race. This doesn't seem an issue for my shorter races. Simply put, fear drives me in an ironman, which can be a good thing for some, but I believe prevents me from triumphing in this distance.

There is pure joy upon entering the loud, thrilling and inspiring finishing chute of an iron distance race. Yet, the lights dim, the pain subsides and realizations dawn on the timing clock which you saw as you crossed that line. One has to progress to maintain an enjoyment level to keep us driving every year. I do not enjoy that fear. One of the main reasons I do this is the enjoyment of doing what others wouldn't consider. However, that doesn't mean distance is the sole dictum. Speed can be just as fun.

Thus, the ever reduced attention span has been redirected towards those shorter distances that have been missing. Thus, an olympic and half ironman are on the cards  for the season finale. Perhpas a marathon too :)

I enjoy biking, but get bored easily when the bike course is monotonous. A little speed injected in to the day will go a long way to reinfuse the excitment. The question is whether I can keep up with the kids. We shall see in a few weeks time in St Paul.

The legs feel strong and the ticker is happy. Let's hope the lungs agree and let the average speed show what fitness I've been feeling for a few months. No fear.

Good luck to us all!