{"id":7864,"date":"2018-04-18T11:59:29","date_gmt":"2018-04-18T17:59:29","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/adjustedreality.com\/blog\/?p=7864"},"modified":"2018-04-23T16:48:41","modified_gmt":"2018-04-23T22:48:41","slug":"chopping-the-wood-and-carrying-the-water","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/adjustedreality.com\/blog\/2018\/04\/18\/chopping-the-wood-and-carrying-the-water\/","title":{"rendered":"Chopping the wood and carrying the water"},"content":{"rendered":"

Marathons hit me right in the feels.<\/p>\n

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Not entirely sure there’s a better feeling than at the end of 26.some miles.<\/em><\/p>\n

I mean, after running 26.2 miles, you are raw.\u00a0 You’ve gone through periods where you’ve felt amazing and then subsequently wanted to give anything just to lie down on the side of the road and die for a little bit or maybe even forever.\u00a0 You’ve felt the highest highs and the lowest lows.\u00a0 You’ve spent a few hours with yourself and only your two feet (and maybe a kickass playlist, if that’s an option) and that finish line is the most glorious thing in the entire world.\u00a0\u00a0 This is a fact both when it’s a standalone run and especially when it’s after a long swim and bike.<\/p>\n

I mean, I love shorter races.\u00a0 There are so many benefits.\u00a0 You can race them more often without falling apart (mentally AND physically).\u00a0 You can be to the beer tent by NINE AM.\u00a0 Specifically for me, my body handles going short and fast (ish) muuuuuch better than going long.\u00a0 At least right now.\u00a0 And, I’m more competitive at these distances.\u00a0 I’ve never even been within spitting distance of a podium if there’s an Iron or marathon anywhere in the name (even with a half qualifier).<\/p>\n

But, there’s something about those longer races.\u00a0 Maybe it’s the glory (my mother, when hearing how long the race was that I won, was like, “oh, that’s all?”).\u00a0 But I also love the type two fun of the long days of training, maybe even more than racing.\u00a0 Even when it’s running for hours in the rain (ok, maybe I *especially* like this one).\u00a0 Or riding my bike for the majority of a workday, even if it’s in 3 mile circles.\u00a0 Or losing count of how many laps I’ve done in the lake when it’s the temperature of bathwater.\u00a0 I live for this stuff.<\/p>\n

One thing I have to keep reminding myself is that the ultimate goal isn’t to *RETIRE* from those type of races.\u00a0 I have no qualms that I’ll be back at the marathon and Ironman distances someday.\u00a0 However, I want to do more than limp through them.\u00a0 I want to be strong and fit and light enough to maintain a good stride and pace through 26 miles.\u00a0 I want to be flexible enough that my range of motion isn’t limiting my power on the bike or my hip extension on the run.\u00a0 I want my core and upper body to be strong to push the bike in aero for 56 or 112 miles like I do for 14 in a sprint.\u00a0 I don’t want to train through a bunch of niggling injuries, I want to feel good and ready for training days and when I step up to the start line instead of wondering what will break on me this time.<\/p>\n

So, the reminder to myself is to chop the wood and carry the water.\u00a0 I need to get STRONG before I go LONG.\u00a0 It will be interesting to test the waters with a half ironman in September and see if I can pull off the run I know is in there if my body would stop being such a flimsy and rigid little jerk.\u00a0 It will be a higher degree of difficulty dive being in Cozumel (hot\/humid), but my two best half iron races have been in similar conditions, so we’ll see how that little experiment of one goes.<\/p>\n

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This probably isn’t going to happen for a while so I’m going to use this picture a few times.\u00a0 Get comfortable with it. \ud83d\ude42
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However, the focus right now is getting ready for the first two back to back races next weekend and the weekend after.\u00a0 I am much less likely to win either of these but if I have a great day, like a really great day, it’s not outside the realm of possibility to stand on the podium.\u00a0 It’s going to be all about the bike on these.\u00a0 They’re both on the hillier side.\u00a0 It’s really hard to catch me on the flats but going up?\u00a0 Yeah… not so much… and then it’s all about what’s left over on the run.\u00a0 I’ve got a stronger run game than I ever have right now, but my legs have not yet figured out how to match that 6- or 7-minute mile pace (I’m barely able to hold 8-something and not consistently), which standing on the top-step sometimes takes.<\/p>\n

Backing up a bit again, I hit most of my training last week with some modifications.<\/p>\n