Chapter 41: I'm Halfway There, Livin' on a Prayer

 

    Whoa, we're halfway there. Whoa, livin' on a prayer! Had a big "halfway" birthday, and finished the halfway point in my Ironman Florida training. Ten weeks down, ten weeks to go.  These next 8 weeks are going to be tough, going to be tiring, and going to going to test my willpower to get out of bed on time (and TO bed) everyday to get the job done.  But in 10 weeks, the payoff will be worth it!  

Weekly Stats:

• Swim (3x)
• 2.70 miles (4,750 yards)
• 1:37:30
• Bike (3x)
• 62.52 miles
• 3:35:38
• Run (2x)
• 13.52 miles
• 2:14:02
• Strength (1x)
• 21:01
• Yoga (5x)
• 2:16:32
• TOTALS:
• 14 activities
• 78.74 miles
• 10:04:43

Training Notes:

    This is the end of my "general build up phase" of my training plan.  It's been a little bit lighter on the miles, times, and my body than I was doing at the end of my 70.3 Eagleman training plan.  Many days I felt like I should be doing a whole lot more, but I knew that once the last half of this plan came around, I'd get PLENTY of workout time.  And I know it was good for me to take a mental slowdown time before getting into the hard stuff.  The distances and times I haven't seen before.  The mental games I know I'll have to play out in my head when I'm tired.  Now it's onto the "race specific" section of the plan. Eight weeks of long swims, bike rides and runs, along with yoga and strength training.  Then I'll have a couple of taper weeks leading up to November 1st.  Here we go!    

    Since the Community Center pool was closed this week for maintenance, the city opened up one of the outdoor pools during the week with the same swim schedule that the indoor pool would have.  On Tuesday when I got up to swim, it was lightning outside, so that was obviously my sign to go back to bed! I did get that swim in on Thursday when I normally don't have a swim on the schedule.  Swimming outside at 6:00AM was great! I wish they would have this option all summer long instead of being indoors when it's nice outside.  I did have the afternoon outdoor pool options, but there's something extra nice about the water early in the morning.  More lanes, sun coming up over the buildings and trees.  But the bathrooms were atrocious!  Guess I can't have everything perfect.  

    Did all my bike rides indoors this week.  My long ride this week was a 2-hour "fast finish" ride, where I ramp up the effort throughout the ride, and finish harder than the rest of the ride. I wanted that long ride to be my last long one indoors (barring bad weather) since from here on out my weekends will consist of 3- to 6-hour rides (with some runs immediately afterwards). I want those to be outside, as there is NO WAY I want to do 5 hours on a trainer.  I've done 3 hours and that was way more than enough.  I will miss the Netflix keeping me company, but I do love being outdoors.

    I only had 2 runs on the schedule this week, a tempo fast-paced run on Tuesday and my 90-minute long run on Sunday.  Tuesday it was 90 plus humidity, somewhere in the mid 90's for heat index. I didn't have a lot of kick in my step that day.  But on Sunday, as I left the house, it was just a bit cooler, sitting at a very nice 59!  This was the best-feeling run I've had in a couple of months--I felt I could have kept going.  It's amazing how much better it feels when the heat and humidity doesn't suck the life out of you and drain all your energy. And....I didn't hit any street signs this week.  Bonus!

    Wrapped up with one strength workout session and 5 yoga sessions.  One of the yoga sessions was a new video for me and I'm not ashamed to admit there was a lot of toppling over and grunting happening during that 40 minutes. And now it's on to the final 10 weeks!  

Daily Life:

For everything there is a season, 

a time for every activity under heaven.

A time to be born and a time to die. 

A time to plant and a time to harvest.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

    The big 5-0.  I made it to the half-century mark of my birthdays this Friday. In the past (and even still now), my thought is that age is just a number.  I can't stop getting older, but I can make sure I stay young.  As Broccoli Rob says (look him up on the Everyday Ironman Podcast), "I want to die young as late as possible".  But in full transparency, on Friday morning as I was swimming on my 50th birthday, it hit me.  I'm halfway there.  Maybe.  Previous years, I always could say I could double my age.  40 years old?  I'll make it to 80.  45?  I can make it to 90.  But this year, 100 seems like a big number to double where I am now.  I know eventually (I'll never know when at that moment) I will be halfway there.  And to get through the second half, whenever and however long that is, I'll definitely be livin' on a prayer.  Not to say this as a downer, but this birthday hit just a bit differently. I still believe that age is just a number (for now at least), and I have a lot of good years in me if I'm blessed with good health and safety.  And that's something that I don't necessarily have full control over. But I will make sure as long as I'm able, I'm going to live in a way that allows me to do hard things and hopefully compete and race against myself in many more years of triathlons or whatever else comes my way.  I'm thankful that even as I turn 50, God has given me the ability to do what I'm doing right now.  And I'm pumped to work my way through these next 8 weeks plus the two taper weeks and toe the starting line in the sand in Panama City Beach.    

    In Ecclesiastes, it says "for everything there is a season; a time for every activity under heaven".  It then goes on to say there is a time to be born and a time to die.  I know that my life is finite here on Earth. But I also know that no matter when I go (read, "kick the bucket"), my infinite eternal life will begin with Jesus.  Wonder how the age groups are arranged for triathlons with people being eternity-old?? The next verse right after those two continues with "a time to plant and a time to harvest".  As I was mid lap in my swim on Friday and contemplating these deep thoughts, I also realized that I was halfway done with this training plan.  I am surely planting the seeds for racing Ironman Florida, and at the end of that day, I'll harvest my hard work in the finishing chute.  God has blessed me with good health, safety in my training, a great support team cheering me on, and my bride walking alongside me.  There is a time for every activity under heaven. I want to use every day to the best I can to glorify God's goodness in my life.  I may be halfway there, or I may be 95% of the way there.  I don't know.  It's day-to-day.  Giving it all I have each and every one of them.  

**I never thought I would ever work a 1986 Bon Jovi song into a spiritual life conclusion. But it was the 80's, so I think that was also God's favorite decade.**

Final Thoughts:

    Rylan and I are both at this time planning on heading to Chattanooga in one month to cheer Chad Koerner on at the IM and volunteer a couple of shift at the swim exit helping swimmers out of the water and also at the finish line handing out medals, hats, and assisting the athletes as they cross the finish line.  I'm excited about that trip to see how a full Ironman works, see Chad do his thing, and spend some time with Rylan at the same time.  That weekend is going to come quickly, and then it's only 5 weeks after that when I'll be doing my thing. Time is cruising by and it's time to get extra serious.  I do have to dial in my eating and nutrition to make sure I'm fueling before and after my workouts correctly.  Since I have two-a-days almost everyday with some really long sessions, it will be more crucial than anything I've done up to this point.  I'm ready for it. Here's to the second half....

Nothing like a good cool sunrise on a long run.

    As always, thanks for following along.  Knowing you're reading these blogs and watching my reels and posts are just a part of the driving force in my motivation.  Also thanks to Everyday Ironman Podcast group.  I said on my last episode that they were "100% responsible" for my improvement.  Maybe not 100%, but definitely knowing I have folks cheering me on here at home and from afar makes a huge difference.  I also know I have to put in the work.  And that's what I'm striving to do my best for God, for me, and for all of you.  

Show Up, Keep Fit, Stay THE Course, 

and Keep Moving Forward

CPC

8/24/25

Olathe, KS

1,645 hours, 52 minutes until Ironman Florida