Always wondering

I'm always wondering if I'm doing enough, if I'm getting better, if I'm pushing myself enough, etc. All signs point to yes, yes, and yes, but there's still a bit of wonder. I don't know if that's just my personality or if that's what people training for an Ironman due 4 weeks before the race (although I must say that it's been happening as long as I can remember, but that's besides the point).

This weekend I feel like I had a great weekend and I'm really happy with the results. I swam my first 2.4 on Saturday morning. Granted it was in the pool, but I'm sorry, that's probably the most boring thing that I can do to prepare for the Ironman! Thankfully some person with God-like qualities invented a SwiMP3. Made my 200 laps SO much more enjoyable. I didn't really "push" myself as much as just swam a comfortable pace. Last year I did two 2.4 mile swims in our pool so I had time to compare with. Last year, I swam them in 1:22:00 and 1:23:36. Saturday, I COMFORTABLY swam them in 1:12:48!!! I was so stinking excited. I know that I've been feeling so much more comfortable in the pool, but that's a huge difference! I'm hoping that it will equate in the open water because it hasn't in the past, but that was a huge confidence booster!

I then proceeded to bike 2:40 indoors - this might rival swimming 200 laps in a pool in terms of dreadful! I wanted to bike outside, but I just couldn't get myself to do it. So I struggled through a long, slow, painful indoor ride (luckily the Real Housewives of Atlanta Marathon was on... those girls are fully of drama to keep my mind busy). I only got off the trainer at 9:15 last night. I will say though - we watch the World Championships throughout the day on the live stream and what a freaking great thing for me. I was so caught up in the excitement that it made it easy to keep going. Chrissie Wellington is in one word, AMAZING! And of course I cried like a baby when I saw her finish. Very cool!

This morning we had a half marathon. Figuring my legs would be mush, I wasn't expecting great things. Oh, and I realized what biking until 9:15 at night will do to my night's sleep - I probably could tell you every detail about my bedroom since I was WIDE awake until 3 in the morning. The alarm when off at 6:10. YUCK! I literally felt like hell the entire drive down (thankfully my hubby drove). I was able to eat my breakfast and drink my pre race diet coke, but I was so nauseous. And my throat was killing me (I was coughing all night too and I think it did a number on my throat). Toeing the line, I felt like I had been hit by a bulldozer. It was a great morning for a run though - cold actually, but the leaves are starting to change. This is a half that we do every year so we knew the course and knew that it would be well run - it didn't disappoint. I didn't turn my watch on and it was great. I just ran. And better yet, I finished in 1:56 something (maybe 1:57 according to their clock, but it wasn't chip timed, although Tom had his Garmin). Tom and I realized that in every race we've done this year, we beat our time from last year. I must be getting better right? And even after 3 hours and 40 minutes of training yesterday, I was able to maintain sub 9:00's without too much trouble. Makes me a happy girl.

Stopped at Noodles on the way home (their mac and cheese was sure to make my belly feel better) and now I'm relaxing and making applesauce. It was a tough weekend... maybe not the longest, maybe not the hardest, but definitely a good confidence building weekend which was much needed!