July 18th- How did that happen?

Has it really been 4 months since my last post?!?! So much to catch-up on and talk about! I've crossed a HUGE barrier in my biking and am only 4 short months from race day. Part of my absence from blogging has been my denial that I'm getting dangerously close to this race. Some days I feel excited, confident and ready, other days I'm paralyzed by fear and unable to wrap my mind around the inevitable. In early June I rode my first century. It was really, really amazing. Around mile 70 I was pretty sure I wasn't going to make it, but finished feeling strong and even put on my running shoes afterward! A few weeks later, Aaron and I biked the 80 mile Copper Triangle. Another amazing ride with great views and a great confidence builder.

Here's where things get tricky... I'm hitting a mental block with the swimming and the running. The pool is downright boring. Lap after lap, I just get caught-up in counting the laps and thinking about how much I hate it. The running (my favorite thing in the entire world) hasn't been great either! I haven't been over 9 miles in over a year and I'm definitely feeling it. I have a half-ironman in 3 weeks and I have no choice but to get my act together. This isn't the first time I've had a race sneak up on me. Marathon after marathon I seem to create a HUGE plan for my training, only to have the race show up out of nowhere like an uninvited guest. So... here's the plan: I'm going to spend the next 2 weeks kicking my own ass. Twice daily I'll engage in multi-hour swimming, biking, running torture sessions. I have to get my fitness up fast! Then, I'll take a week and taper before the half ironman. I don't always do things in a smart or conventional way, but somehow I always find the finish line!

In other news, I've signed up for the Mardi Gras Marathon in February. Mom's coming with me and she's running the half. I can't wait!

More updates to come...