Towards the middle of last week I found myself in a sea of things to do with a very small amount viable to accomplish. There just wasn’t enough time in the day. It was then that it hit me, again. I am in the middle of the Ironman training tunnel where no light can be found. I can’t see back to the beginning or the end but what I can see is that my navigation skills are significantly better than in recent years. While training for my first Ironman in 2008, I regularly reached over boiling points of emotional explosion as I put myself under extreme pressure to get it all done. Since then, I have become wiser while lifting the veil on perfection to find freedom in fur balls and overgrown wisteria. Thanks to the power of the pause and my ability to nap on demand my training experience these days allows for more mental ease than in the past. This does not mean that over boiling points are no longer available to me, they most certainly are and sometimes on a daily basis. It means that through my constant practice of yoga, choosing away from chaos is now my default setting. The challenge is found in my choice not to waste vital energy on drama when it is so delicious to indulge. Choosing calm in the face of sensation is, in my experience, the most courageous choice one can make and an ideal practice for skillful race execution. It takes a brave and steadfast character to find peace in the chaos and breathe consciously in a day that is packed from pre-sunrise to post-sunset. We all have this bravery and courage within us.
With 3+ months to go until Ironman #4, I can report that my training is going very well. My body is healthy and strong. I attribute this to a plant based diet, my daily meditation practice, yoga, monthly acupuncture and massage, as well as visits to my chiropractor every 3 months to keep my scaffolding aligned. I’m a huge proponent of self care and do something every day to take care of my body. My physical training is similar to how it has been for the last 3 years which seems to be a recipe that works well for me. I train 7 days a week with Mondays set as an active recovery day including a lighter swim and yoga. I’m swimming, biking and running about 13 hours a week right now, this will increase as the race gets closer, and practicing yoga 3x a week in the studio which adds another 3-4 hours to my weekly training.
When I first started triathlon a decade ago, I practiced yoga once a week. This left me completely reset back to zero by the time I hit my mat. I’ve come to find that 3 is the ideal number for me. It keeps my body and mind strong and open. Meditation is another piece that has grown over the years and is the difference between my old wake up hour of 5am and my new waking hour of 4am. Each time I set the alarm at night, there is the part of me that just wants to forget to do it while the other part of me gets excited about choosing to start each day on top.
In addition to all of this, YogiTriathlete continues to gain momentum and we’re having a blast watching her grow. We have six relay teams going into an upcoming sprint triathlon next month, our coaching services are expanding and we’ve been on two radio shows in the last month to talk about High Vibe living. I’ve been teaching yoga in the community through our local Lululemon shop and had an awesome experience during Ironman Lake Placid offering free classes in the days leading up to the race – I’ll be back next year! My book for athletes is in the works, we’re planning our first Ironman Lake Placid training camp next June and we’re on track to adding new services to our website. People are reaching out to us and we are listening. Keep sharing your amazing stories of inspiration with us, we love hearing from you all!
At 15 weeks to blast off I am exactly where I should be – training hard, resting hard and loving large! With every opportunity and inspiration I receive, although overwhelming at times, I remind myself that life is now, right now and I better seize every heartbeat. Namaste!
