Do you ever question what you are really capable of? I do it a lot. I confidently tell the world about new challenges I am doing, but secretly in my mind I’m asking myself “Can I actually do that?” Up until today, I didn’t know if I could complete an IronMan 70.3 Triathlon, and now I know.
I set my New Year’s goals on Thanksgiving 2012, so I’ve been working up to this for almost 2 months now. And it wasn’t pretty, but I accomplished a 1 mile swim; 59 miles on the bike (3 more than necessary and with 2000 feet of climbing); and a 13.1 mile half marathon, all within a 9-hour time period.
The goal for this training assessment was endurance, not speed. I got into my long haul mode, carefully packing supplies and wearing my most comfortable clothing. And I kept a very moderate pace throughout, with many strategic breaks and long transitions between sports. The last three running miles took tremendous will power as my calves tightened up and my hamstrings started dialing 911.
I’m pretty sore all over, but I’m still smiling. Because now I no longer have a question in my mind about completing the 70.3 Triathlon, it’s just a matter of how fast. We’ll find that out on April 14th in Napa.
Think about the goals you have set for yourself this year… if you want to remove the question, answer it.
Such a great message, David, and for me – perfect timing. I’ve had a lot of questions lately about my abilities and this has given me pause to think, to assess and to make plans to move forward.
Once again, you never cease to amaze me!
Awe inspiring!