9 Days....

The alarm goes off at 6:30am.  I hit snooze.... 9 minutes later I shut the snooze off a minute early.  Ok, it's time to get up, get my run gear on, walk the dog then go on my 30 minute run.  Wait, did I just say 30 minute run?  I sure did! I seriously cannot remember the last time I did "just" a 30 minute run.

It was a progression run where I had to start 1:15 slower than 5k pace, then get progressively faster throughout the run so the last 5-8 minutes are :15-:20 off my 5K pace.  It was a beautiful morning in Central Park yesterday.  The first time since April that I actually wore a running t-shirt instead of a tank top and hundreds of runners, walkers, bikers were enjoying the morning. I got my "pep in my step" back on this run!  I nailed the times, worked up a lovely cool morning sweat and then bam!  I was done.

So, with only 9 days left til the big day... honestly, I'm surprised I don't feel like I wanna crap my pants! I think last week's crankiness/tiredness/leg fatigueness has held off my pre-race jitters for a little bit.  If anything positive came out of feeling terrible last week, it was that - so thanks taper Gods!

It could also be that after looking back at my garmin files... I know did the work.  I sacrificed a social life, sleep, birthdays, baby showers, weekend getaways to fulfill this dream.  And I'm happy to report I only missed 4 workouts out of a planned 167!  

J-Pow's Interesting IM Training Stats from January 1st 2011 to July 24th 2011:

Length of training plan = 7 months
Days I trained per week = 6 
Full rest day per week = 1
# of planned sessions = 167
# of completed sessions = 163
# of missed workouts = 4
# of times I got sick = 3
Extra rest days due to barfing/not eating solids = 2
Long workouts I cut short = 2 
(a 3 hour run down to an hour due to dehydration from peeing out my butt for 3 days & 1 long swim cut down due to kids & old people kicking me out of the pool)
# of weddings I partied at = 1 very, very special wedding STEFFY
# of margaritas I had in Austin, TX = too many to count
# of PR's = 3 (Hook Mtn. Half Marathon, American Zofingen Du - 1st race of that distance - and Rev3 Quassy Half Ironman)
Race day age = 30
# of Ironman World Champs I met = 2
# of times I cried = I'm gonna say 7... one per month
# of freakouts = um, maybe too many to count?!?

So I have a lot on my side come race day.  I think the most valuable thing I have in my bag of tricks is CONSISTENCY.  Consistency is my key to success.  That's one of the reasons why I hired a Coach, for accountability.  I don't even want to look at how many planned sessions I missed last year training for a half ironman pre-Coach.  And I wondered why I couldn't get any faster.  I took off 36 minutes in a HARDER half ironman this year, without taper, without it being my "A" race and in the middle of Ironman training.  Consistency works for me.

I couldn't plan on getting sick three times this year, a personal record. I guess my body wasn't used to being worn down from training so much.  But I don't want to blame it all on my body... 2 out of 3 involved stomach problems (oh yes the barfing and peeing out the butt type things) which could have been from bad food! The biggest missed workout that concerned me was during Memorial Day Weekend.  That is now known as "peeing out my butt" weekend.  Being literally stuck to the toilet for 4 hours in the middle of the night will kill any chance of a 5 hour ride happening.  I also had to cut my 3 hour run short to only an hour since I was so dehydrated.  I was super worried that the missed long ride & run would hurt me in the end, but now, being very near the end, I don't feel that way.  As Coach said back then, "Big picture, Jill, big picture.  You have to look at it that way.  One missed long ride won't kill your training."  Coach was right.  It didn't.

I am ready.  I'm finally now confident enough in all the time, the training, the guts, the early mornings, the early nights, everything I put into to this.... that I AM READY.  I BELIEVE.