Today I'm tired, sore and snuffly. I had a bit of a sore throat yesterday but it's gone today. I feel like I slept inside a vice last night, and want a nap. Things hurt that I didn't even know existed, and Hannibal is being a right little so and so. I'm stressed about my Uni practical that I've booked for the 5th of April and worried that I'll fail it. I'm worried that I won't have enough time to get all the theory stuff done and marked competent beforehand, and that I'll screw up the prac and have to repeat it.
Okay, mini spazz attack over.
In 347 days I'll be doing my first Ironman. That is something to spazz about, not semi-unfounded fears of failure. It will be the longest, hardest and most challenging day of my life so far. It's going to hurt, it's going to be tough and it's going to be a bloody long day. But it will so be worth it. I know I WILL finish within the specified 17-hours available, and I will finish with time to spare. I may not be fast, but I will finish, no matter what.
Everything I do now is all about IMNZ - never mind having a life, that's out the window. I now have to focus on what is ahead, with unfaltering effort and unwavering dedication. It's now all about sleeping, eating, training, recovering, racing, Jedi mind training and minimising distractions. No more parties, frivolity or too much fun. Spare time will be spent recovering or training. Spare money will be gone on nutrition, training, gear or races. The only person who'll see me in the buff for the next year will be my sports masseuse, and that's only because of ongoing attempts to work the constant knots out of my muscles.
I speak with my coach more than anyone else now, including my own dad. Time off is when I go to work or I'm asleep. I'm becoming stupid faster and more often from carb depletion, and falling asleep on the couch is my latest party trick. A ragey night out for me now is having dinner at Nandos, and the walk of shame is when I have to stop running and start walking because I'm out of breath or my legs have decided to kill me. I now get drunk on milk, high on caffeine gels and bombed on hot chocolates. I get excited about naps and cups of tea!
All this is temporary pain, unless of course I decide to do another Ironman after NZ next year. And, I probably will. I'd love to do Australia, Busso, Malaysia and of course Hawaii. I'd also love to do the Singapore 70.3 race. At least after the first one I'll have that under my belt, and the experience and race background that goes with it will be priceless. The glory from that first race will indeed last forever - no one ever forgets their first race, let alone their first Ironman!
This is what I'm living by - Not one day that you are here on this earth has been promised to you. So make the most of everyday as if it was your last, and every breath as if it was the same ~ Blindspott.
Bring the power.
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