1/17/08

Do you Remember

This morning's workout was great. After the last few weeks of not so good training, and seemingly poor results, it was refreshing to have a good one. This morning's spin class was huge - typical of the new year with everyone looking forward to the first race of the year (around here, that will be the Louisiana Triathlon in April, but for me - it will be the 70.3 in Oceanside, Claifornia.) It's so motivating to have such a big crowd at 5am and JP's brought some yummy oatmeal cookies his wife made for us to eat halfway through! After spin class, i headed out for my run hoping to it would go as well as spin class....and it did. While I was running, I had a number of things running through my head - as always. One thing in particluar was the fact that I think of so much stuff and it's all so clear while I'm out there running alone, it's too bad I have no way to write it all down. I swear, if I could write my blog while I ran, I would have a lot more postings on here! Usually, by the time I get home and eat and unwind, my mind wants to take a break too, and I lose the desire to write anything. But for whatever reason today, I have made it to the computer with a clear mind and an eagerness to share my thoughts. For the last few weeks I have been in a Funk. I'm not sure why, but it's just where I am and it's a cycle that is hard to break. This morning, I had a breakthrough - deciding to change my traning a bit. The type of workouts I have been doing may be the very reason why I am not having good ones. Last night while I was lying in bed exhausted and feeling like my brain was fried, I thought back to my Kona traning last year when I could go and go and go - and the reason I could do all that was because I went long, slow, and aerobic. Basically, I kept my heartrate down and went forever. So one of my biggest problems lately is feeling like I can't last....getting worn out and bummed out because I was tired. So this morning, I kept my HR low and rode for an hour, and had an awesome easy 9 mile run.
9 miles....all the time thinking of the things going on in my life, the year to come, and the years behind me. In Spin class today, I played a song "Do You Remember". I can't recall who sings it, but it's about a girl who used to get abused by her father. None of that is signifigant to my life as I have the best Dad anyone could ask for....but the words "Do you Remember" kept going through my mind - over and over......so I began to remember some things....

I remember when I did my first spin class.
I remember running the "loop" with the group for the first time....and thinking "where did this stupid hill come from?"
I remember running in the dark thru beau chene for the first time.
I remember talking to Donnie for the first time.
I remember his classes.
I remember buying my first bike.
I remember my first race.
I remember when my goal was to "just finish" a sprint.
I remember the only race I ever DNF'd. I had a good reason, and it wasn't an Ironman.
I remember bonking for the first time in my first half ironman. But I don't remember much about it!
I remember feeling Donnie's hand on my back pushing me up to the group when I fell behind on a ride. (I still feel it)
I remember Donnie hiding in the bushes in beau chene ready to jump out and scare the bejezus out of me! It always worked....
I remember tripping over a speed bump running in the dark and falling flat on my face. (there were no witnesses, and it's been a while since i've done that)
I remember Donnie's green wig and those ugly teeth he would wear to make us laugh.
I remember the day we learned he had ALS.
I remember him standing in the rain with a cane in Lake Placid watching Ironman from the sideline when he was supposed to be racing.
I remember him teaching class from his wheelchair, using his computer when he couldn't speak anymore.
I remember how many lives he touched, and how many people loved him.
I remember his funeral.
I remember how he believed in me.
I remember when I first ran a sub 8:00 mile and rode averaging 2o mph.
I remember when I ran sub 7:00 miles and averaged over 24 mph.
I remember what it felt like to buy a size 8 for the first time. Then a 6. Then a 4.
I remember my first bike crash.
I remember my first sponsor.
I remember winning my first race and getting PAID!
I remember meeting Ryan.
I remember beating all the boys last year.
I remember tripping over the barbed wire to pee in the woods. that hurt.
and I remember once only wishing I could run 9 miles....and then, in 2003 when a 9 mile run was my longest run ever....and then last year, when a 9 mile run was part of a mid-week easy day.

4 comments:

Wes said...

I just read your story on Ironman.com. Then, I did an internet search, and voila!! Isn't technology wonderful!

Your story is very inspiring, amazing, and powerful. I will keep all this in mind as I work towards IM FL 08 and work hard towards my breakthrough year.

Good luck with turning pro!! I think you'll do wonderful :-)

greyhound said...

I found your blog through Ironbabe Jane in Houston. This is a wonderful post, not only because of the physical progress that we all experience, but even more because of the memories of the people who "push us up to the group."

This will be a regular stop for me. Keep on going.

Anonymous said...

I found your blog while looking up Crawfishman. I love that it is the same weekend as Jazzfest. I am actually from Mandeville and lived in Beau Chene. I think you are truly an inspiration considering you said you were a coach potato 6 years ago and now you are a Pro. You are amazing! This has prompted me to write a remember list, b/c sometimes it is easy to forget all the great memories when we are in a funk. Take care!

Anonymous said...

This was really nice to read. I've been in a funk for a few weeks, and it's nice to remember some of the great memories that led to where I am. I was not on a positive path for a while, and triathlon helped pull me back to what was really important. I also think we have the same coach.