Penn State's mentor group

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Redlands, CA

Subject: RE: Penn State's mentor group - CLOSED!

Kath2163 - 2010-10-13 5:51 PM

I can't seem to get the idea of doing an IM out of my head. There are moments when I think " I should give it a try, I think I could do this" Those times are usually when I am watching the BOPs' finishing the IM on TV or online. Then there are other times when I think "No way do I want to do that!" (I think this when I imagine being mauled in the swim, see the people collapsing at the finish line or read race reports where there has been extreme suffering to the point of multiple IVs and/or hospitalization. Also the amount of training seems a bit daunting. (of course doing anything beyond a sprint tri seemed that way at one point in my life).
I have to admit that another reason I have been thinking about this a lot is that I have a friend who is battling what looks like to be a losing fight with Cancer and she often speaks about the importance of living in the here and now, doing what you want to do now.. don't wait to live life.

I recently started working with a coach and am learning that what I thought was the beginning of burn out was really just me being VERY frustrated about the lack of running improvement and going through a season of training and racing "alone" (in the past years I had friends who did this with me. They stopped and I kept going) and with a medical issue (dental infection and two dental surgeries) that took a lot out of me in many ways. Once I got off the phone with the coach after our initial talk, I was excited again. It was like a light switch was turned on. (that is a good sign I think).

I wonder if the fact that I go back and forth on the idea of an IM vs. saying with conviction "I want to do an IM" is an indicator that I should wait or if that is a normal reaction when contemplating something this big. I mean what is the rush right?

And the other thing... what race would I do? I don't know about to many of them (only what I read) and I am assuming most of the ones that have opened are already sold out. I think about IM Arizona since it is close and flatter then many but then there is IM FL. I don't know of any others that are still available.
Thanks for letting me ramble. I figured if any group of people would understand what I am thinking, you all would.
If anyone has any thoughts or suggestions, I would love to hear them.

Kathleen,

If you are thinking about doing an Ironman this much, you have already decided to do one. Your fears may be trying to rationalize that it is not a good idea, but we don't let our fears guide us. (that sounds like a quote out of star wars

) . Get in in your head that you plan to do one and prepare accordingly. You've been a consistently training and you should be prepared to enter an Ironman block.

About which IM, it all depends on cost and time away. IMAZ, IMTX, and IMSG are the closest, but I would rule out IMSG since you'd have to train in the snow and its a very hard course. I don't know much about IMTX, except it may get hot. Then again, so may IMAZ. Right now, I'd say IMAZ, but then there's IMCozumel, Cour'de Alene, and Florida which are fairly flat as well. Lake Placid and Wisconsin have some hills, and are probably not so difficult I'd shy away but you'd have to ask the others about those.

Good luck on whatever you decide to do, and I look forward to you decision!

Penn State's mentor group - CLOSED! (Page 114)

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