IronJourney

Brief History Sept 2007 - 1st triathlon, Ukiah sprint distance tri where I learned to swim and run. This is where the Ironman seed was planted. The pipe dream. March 2012-  3 mentally painful marathons and several half marathons later I tackled my first 70.3 (half Ironman distance) triathlon. Ironman 70.3 California Oceanside. In training I learned to ride clipped in my pedals.   The Ironman seed was starting to grow but remained very, very small. Summer 2013 - Failed attempt at training for marathon #4 to redeem myself mentally. The Ironman seed is growing, I am preparing for this to see if I can change things inside and consider moving forward. My knee issues are getting worse and I am no longer able to ignore my left knee pain. Time to check it out. This becomes a turning point. Fall 2013 - Injured athlete's party and some drinks. A few more drinks later, my two dear friends, Erin and Wendee and I decide we are doing an Ironman in 2016 together. The seed spro...

Taper starts soon. I’m ready. Two weeks ago the thought of taper sent me into a near panic attack. I know all the training is done, the hay is in the barn they say, but really? What if there are a few haystacks missing? How do I know if there is enough? I can’t quantify it and if I cannot quantify I cannot be sure. And bam! I get sick. I CAN NOT get sick, these are the last two weeks before taper. This is my opportunity to find just one more haystack to get in that barn.  The week before I was sick I was having intermittent brief little chest pressure/pains whether at work or home. Enough to make me think. Enough to make me realize I am turning into my anxious patients. Okay, Cecily you need to settle down and breathe. You may be vegan and fit but anxiety is what is going to be your downfall. Intention set- lots of daily deep breathing and visualization. Tuesday  evening, I cough a few times probably some leftover pool water postnasal drip choking me when I go to b...

I rode the IMAZ bike course last week in Arizona. It was a really good opportunity to learn what to expect as well as view the swim and run course. I feel comfortable with the swim. The run course looks fun and I was thrilled to see that there is about a mile of dirt/sand path on the course. It will be a really spectator friendly event  with quite a bit to do for my family and friends as we are a block from Arizona State University. The bike course is pretty flat but there will be wind. There is always wind and the slight uphill on the beeline will most likely have a headwind which can feel like a climb. Last year there were record 50mph winds and I heard that some riders were blown off the road. I'm trusting that is a rare occurrence and this year will be normal. I'm also trusting this year's El Nino will have mercy on us. Training has been relatively easy physically. Some weeks it is harder and I feel it more which creeps up in the form of begging for mor...

I signed up for this race for the beauty and challenge. The full Ironman is considered the toughest Ironman in North America. So a half would be challenging but doable right? When they opened a 70.3 I signed up immediately. That was 2014 and unfortunately was cancelled due to the smoke. So I returned this year to finish this. This time better trained- mentally and physically.   I decided to try this race without my family- mostly because the kids’ schedule was jammed packed all weekend and James needed to be there for them but also as an experiment in mental strengthening. See what I can do when I struggle and see how I handle it alone.     I have an awesome spouse who takes good care of me when I race.   He listens to me spin round and round pre race with my anxieties and offers reassurance.   But what if I could reassure myself? Afterall, no one is with me on the race. Maybe I will learn to work through my pre race and race anxiety on my own and...