Labor Day Off

DAY OFF!

Although the day was Off for training, it wasn't in terms of life. I ended up working on the house all day, ending up with sore hands and shoulders. Probably shouldn't be doing that anymore this week.

Some good readings lately...

Sign from the pool, seen on my "last swim" last week. I normally wouldn't even take note of this sign, but it stuck with me:

The winner is not the one that touches the wall first. Instead, the
winners is the one who can look back and see all the hard work done to get to
the start line (paraphrased).

Seen in an email:

Determination is made up of focused discipline that includes pushing through
personal thresholds to gain a larger purpose. It is the motivation behind our
lives, and it is what brings us to our goals.

From a friend who just finished an Ironman:

Trust your training. It's all a mental game from
here.

From a song:

I need to be myself. I can be no one else. I'm
feeling Supersonic...

I could go on with more. Even the silliest songs, poems, writings, suggestions, and quotes have new meanings for me. I'm seeing my world in a new light and from a new perspective. Now the hubby says I'm getting emotional, like a hormonal pregnant woman. But in reality I'm on the brink of the biggest challenge I may ever do. This is not a race, this is an event. I'm not going to IMWI for a KQ (qualify for Hawaii) or to win anything. I'm going to this race to do something that 3 years ago I thought to be outside the bounds of my abilities. I'm doing this to see what I'm made of, how far I've come, and what I'm capable of doing.

In short, I'm putting a lot of stock into this one day.

And I might find I'm not made of IM stuff yet. And if I have to do this all over again because I'm not ready, well then I sign up again for next year. But that is not where my worries are. Right now I'm more worried about a bike crash, bad weather, bike breakdown, or something else outside of my control.

All the advice and coaches say that you can only change what is in your box: your pace, your heartrate, your nutrition, and your outlook on the race. I can't control weather or technicalities, so I shouldn't be worried about them. Let 'em go.