I am now offically two weeks into my off season and it is a nice change of pace. Im still training every day, but usually just 1 or maybe 2 sessions per day. I'll most likely keep this rolling through the Thanksgiving weekend and then start to get back into things a little bit more in the following week.
I wanted to thank everyone who came out to the Trek Bicycle Store Madison West location lastnight! Seeing you forgo the opening of "New Moon" (unlike 26.3 million other American's) and attend the event really did mean a lot ;) In the end it was a huge success! We had a great time with food, drinks, music, a little silliness, along with the creation of more than a few holiday wish list's! Thank you also to all of the westside store employee's! You guys are awesome and always work very hard to make sure these things go extremely smooth!
More to come soon...have to head out to ride and take advantage of this 55* November weather! Oh yeah, and it's NOT windy!!
BB
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Ironman Florida
Both of the times I have raced Ironman Florida the water has actually looked like what an ocean is suppose to look like! Standing on the start line the horizon looked like a distant mountain range, rather than a smooth never ending sheet of blue-green glass. The gun went off and it was probably the least rough start to an Ironman I have had in a long time. We were all one big happy group out to the turn until we turned into the sun and left to deal with the 4ft swells. It seems that everyone decided to take their own line to the return leg of the loop. I tried to guess which set of feet to stay on so I could remain at the front of the group. Unfortunately, I guessed incorrectly and was in no man's land with a few other swimmers.
I came out of the water in around 19th position and was quickly onto the bike with my good buddy Justin Daerr (JD). He and I trained in Clermont, FL together for a long time and as we rolled out I joked about how it felt just like old times. We were greeted by 50 miles of headwind to start the ride, which was NOT fun. I just kept as low of a profile as I could and kept the power steady at about 80% of my threshold. JD and I tried unsuccessfully to drop a few riders that began to accumulate behind us. Early in the ride, into a headwind, it just wasnt possible. These guys could ride, they just choose to sit in.
We made the turn and had a ROCKIN' tailwind for about 20 miles...I'm talking 30-35mph. I chilled out a bit here and knew I could get a good look at the field at the turn-around. When we got there, i was glad to see that even though Luke McKenzie was off the front, the rest of the field was very close.
As the miles ticked by, I made my way through the field and was pleased to end the ride with a 4:33 bike split in 7th position overall, just a few minutes down on second place. Off the bike, the legs felt great. I rolled through the first few miles feeling smooth and could see 3rd-6th up the road. About mile 3, something just wasn't right...my stomach and GI started rumbling and I was then forced to stop almost every mile. My cast iron stomach was failing me :)
I eventually was able to manage the issue by limiting my nutrition to only water and a little bit of coke every few miles. I knew the lack of calories would mean a bonk at some point, but I was just hoping to finish before that might happen.
When running, I was running ok (6:40-6:50 per mile), I just couldnt keep it going for long without stopping. At 30k, I did the math and thought I could finish under 8:50 unless the world ended...and THAT is where I jinxed myself. At the 34k (21.5miles), the world ended! HA! I went from running to walking within about 10 steps!
I did what I had to and walked to the finish. Not what I wanted, but again...another step forward and that's all that matters!!
Now a bit of a break for me, then a lot to work on before next season! Thanks again to everyone for their support, I could not do what I do and keep the passion and fire lit without you! Timex, Trek, K-Swiss, my family and friend3s :) you guys are amazing!
My new site should be up shortly, as well as some other exciting news regarding next season!
Time to dust off the ski's!!
BB
I came out of the water in around 19th position and was quickly onto the bike with my good buddy Justin Daerr (JD). He and I trained in Clermont, FL together for a long time and as we rolled out I joked about how it felt just like old times. We were greeted by 50 miles of headwind to start the ride, which was NOT fun. I just kept as low of a profile as I could and kept the power steady at about 80% of my threshold. JD and I tried unsuccessfully to drop a few riders that began to accumulate behind us. Early in the ride, into a headwind, it just wasnt possible. These guys could ride, they just choose to sit in.
We made the turn and had a ROCKIN' tailwind for about 20 miles...I'm talking 30-35mph. I chilled out a bit here and knew I could get a good look at the field at the turn-around. When we got there, i was glad to see that even though Luke McKenzie was off the front, the rest of the field was very close.
As the miles ticked by, I made my way through the field and was pleased to end the ride with a 4:33 bike split in 7th position overall, just a few minutes down on second place. Off the bike, the legs felt great. I rolled through the first few miles feeling smooth and could see 3rd-6th up the road. About mile 3, something just wasn't right...my stomach and GI started rumbling and I was then forced to stop almost every mile. My cast iron stomach was failing me :)
I eventually was able to manage the issue by limiting my nutrition to only water and a little bit of coke every few miles. I knew the lack of calories would mean a bonk at some point, but I was just hoping to finish before that might happen.
When running, I was running ok (6:40-6:50 per mile), I just couldnt keep it going for long without stopping. At 30k, I did the math and thought I could finish under 8:50 unless the world ended...and THAT is where I jinxed myself. At the 34k (21.5miles), the world ended! HA! I went from running to walking within about 10 steps!
I did what I had to and walked to the finish. Not what I wanted, but again...another step forward and that's all that matters!!
Now a bit of a break for me, then a lot to work on before next season! Thanks again to everyone for their support, I could not do what I do and keep the passion and fire lit without you! Timex, Trek, K-Swiss, my family and friend3s :) you guys are amazing!
My new site should be up shortly, as well as some other exciting news regarding next season!
Time to dust off the ski's!!
BB
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Believing In You!
I was going to write this post after Ironman Florida, but I had some time and thought that I would write it prematurely. Triathlon (Ironman) is not only a sport and a lifestyle, but it is something that we use to teach us more about ourselves.
It is not about going fast for most athletes, but it is about setting off on a journey that we may or may not have thought we could complete. It is about showing ourselves that the so called "impossible," is truly possible. All we have to do is BELIEVE.
For many athletes, it is not just about the racing. It might be about losing weight, or it might be about feeling confident in who we are, our self image or maybe showing ourselves that we can live a healthy lifestyle, when we never have. When I think about all these things, I think about change and I think about empowering ourselves to live better lives and become happier people. Don't take a back seat to life, go get it..."We create our own lives and happiness." Work in a career that you are excited about every single day, surround yourself with positive influences that enhance your life, not inhibit it! Believe in yourself, always...now matter how absurd or rediculous it seems. If you don't try and you don't believe, it will never happen and you will never know.
We are constantly comparing ourselves to the rest of this world; other people, possessions, things we do, race times, our weight, our pant size, everything. We might think to ourselves, "I train that much, why can't I go that fast?" or " I eat this way and train that much, why can't I look like that or why am I not that size?" The reason is because all of us are different and need something that works for us, not someone else.
The best thing you can do is focus on you! Win those small battles one by one and stay in the moment, celebrate the victories along the way and believe that what you are doing is what is BEST for YOU. Take comfort in know that if something doesn't work, you can just change...it doesn't mean that you failed, as I hear all the time. Make modifications, go another direction, think outside the box, because there isnt just one shot at things, or a last shot...it is trial and error and learning and implimenting in the future.
To throw in some personal experience on this topic, I will offer this. I don't have the super-natural gift that many athletes have (yes I do realize I have some), but I have also trained around 10,000 hours in the last 8 years, that's alot! I rode 5:21 and finished in 10:35 in my 2nd Ironman Wisconsin. It took me 4 years to ride a faster bike split and finish with a faster time. To add more fuel to this fire, It took me 16, YES 16 Ironman races to NOT blow up on the bike...I had a LOT of people telling me that maybe I just couldnt go faster, that maybe I should focus on the shorter distance, but I believed...deep down, sometimes I forced myself to, but I knew I could.
This year I stepped back from the sport mentally and emotionally, I didn't look at what anyone else was doing and frankly I didn't really care. I focused on myself and what worked for me. I trained hard and recovered until I could go hard again. I focused on workouts that I enjoyed and believed in myself every step of the way.
At the end of the day (or the races:) I was the athlete that I wanted to be, I PR'd by 13minutes at the half ironman distance. I increased my threshold for the first time in 3 years and rode 30minutes faster on the bike in an Ironman, than I ever had before.
I got to where I wanted to be by doing everything that I had avoided in the past and thought didn't work. I let go, just listened to my body and I believed in myself. So whether you are trying to lose 15 lbs, qualify for Kona, love how you look, or just finish in a race. What seems impossible, is not! NEVER give up and keep on searching until you find the magic combination and balance that works for you!
Ok, that's all for today! 1 week of IMFL prep for me! I can't wait to see a temp above 60*!!!
Keep the faith,
Blake
It is not about going fast for most athletes, but it is about setting off on a journey that we may or may not have thought we could complete. It is about showing ourselves that the so called "impossible," is truly possible. All we have to do is BELIEVE.
For many athletes, it is not just about the racing. It might be about losing weight, or it might be about feeling confident in who we are, our self image or maybe showing ourselves that we can live a healthy lifestyle, when we never have. When I think about all these things, I think about change and I think about empowering ourselves to live better lives and become happier people. Don't take a back seat to life, go get it..."We create our own lives and happiness." Work in a career that you are excited about every single day, surround yourself with positive influences that enhance your life, not inhibit it! Believe in yourself, always...now matter how absurd or rediculous it seems. If you don't try and you don't believe, it will never happen and you will never know.
We are constantly comparing ourselves to the rest of this world; other people, possessions, things we do, race times, our weight, our pant size, everything. We might think to ourselves, "I train that much, why can't I go that fast?" or " I eat this way and train that much, why can't I look like that or why am I not that size?" The reason is because all of us are different and need something that works for us, not someone else.
The best thing you can do is focus on you! Win those small battles one by one and stay in the moment, celebrate the victories along the way and believe that what you are doing is what is BEST for YOU. Take comfort in know that if something doesn't work, you can just change...it doesn't mean that you failed, as I hear all the time. Make modifications, go another direction, think outside the box, because there isnt just one shot at things, or a last shot...it is trial and error and learning and implimenting in the future.
To throw in some personal experience on this topic, I will offer this. I don't have the super-natural gift that many athletes have (yes I do realize I have some), but I have also trained around 10,000 hours in the last 8 years, that's alot! I rode 5:21 and finished in 10:35 in my 2nd Ironman Wisconsin. It took me 4 years to ride a faster bike split and finish with a faster time. To add more fuel to this fire, It took me 16, YES 16 Ironman races to NOT blow up on the bike...I had a LOT of people telling me that maybe I just couldnt go faster, that maybe I should focus on the shorter distance, but I believed...deep down, sometimes I forced myself to, but I knew I could.
This year I stepped back from the sport mentally and emotionally, I didn't look at what anyone else was doing and frankly I didn't really care. I focused on myself and what worked for me. I trained hard and recovered until I could go hard again. I focused on workouts that I enjoyed and believed in myself every step of the way.
At the end of the day (or the races:) I was the athlete that I wanted to be, I PR'd by 13minutes at the half ironman distance. I increased my threshold for the first time in 3 years and rode 30minutes faster on the bike in an Ironman, than I ever had before.
I got to where I wanted to be by doing everything that I had avoided in the past and thought didn't work. I let go, just listened to my body and I believed in myself. So whether you are trying to lose 15 lbs, qualify for Kona, love how you look, or just finish in a race. What seems impossible, is not! NEVER give up and keep on searching until you find the magic combination and balance that works for you!
Ok, that's all for today! 1 week of IMFL prep for me! I can't wait to see a temp above 60*!!!
Keep the faith,
Blake
Friday, October 16, 2009
Panama City Beach Bound
It has been a while between updates, but I wanted to iron (haha) out the rest of the year before posting anything.
I have decided to head down to Panama City Beach on November 7th to race Ironman Florida. After a season with a lot of success, I almost accomplished a great result at Ironman Wisconsin. I have great fitness and motivation, so I have decided to keep my season rolling before getting out the ski's and working on my IM in the pool!
I raced IMFL back in 2006 and think that course suits me well. I am excited to get down there and will post another update before race day!
+++++++++++++
Stay tuned for a new site coming soon and some more exciting news for 2010.
Life is good!
BB
I have decided to head down to Panama City Beach on November 7th to race Ironman Florida. After a season with a lot of success, I almost accomplished a great result at Ironman Wisconsin. I have great fitness and motivation, so I have decided to keep my season rolling before getting out the ski's and working on my IM in the pool!
I raced IMFL back in 2006 and think that course suits me well. I am excited to get down there and will post another update before race day!
+++++++++++++
Stay tuned for a new site coming soon and some more exciting news for 2010.
Life is good!
BB
Monday, September 21, 2009
Ironman Start #17..... Check!
2009 Ironman Wisconsin Race Report
Ironman Wisconsin this year was Ironman start #17. I had a few goals for this race...which will follow.
#1 - To be in the first chase pack.
#2 - To NOT blow up on the bike.
#3 - To race MY race.
#4 - To WIN.
Well, I scored 50% on this test, which would mean that had i taken any other test at any school i attended growing up, I would have failed miserably! But this was Ironman and while I was looking to ace this test, I was really just hoping for some solid steps forward...and that I did achieve! Here's how the day went down.
Okay, race morning....I rolled into a super secret parking spot that I cannot reveal because it is always open on race morning. It is only 1 block from the start and if I told you I can guarantee I wouldn't be able to park there next year!! BTW - I heard about the spot from one of my athletes! Thank you Roz!
As I am walking down to transition I am thinking to myself how quickly the year goes by. It seemed like only last month that I was walking down to the Ironman transition....and no it was NOT because I raced an insane amount of IM's this year again... ;) This was my first.
I got most of my stuff out of the way and then went to get my tires topped off by the mechanic that was stationed next to our rack....I have to say that this is a huge luxury to racing at the front of the race. Well anyway, my tire was getting filled with air and when we went to pull the "crack pipe" adapter off, it took about a 6" section of disc cover with it :) AWESOME, I thought....i then asked for the duct tape! That stuff fixes everything, right!?! So 4 pieces of duct tape later, my ghetto ride was ready to roll.
I headed down to the swim start and got ready to roll. The swim was wetsuit legal and the water temp was about 76*....this was gonna be great! I mean don't get me wrong...I only swim with paddles and a pull buoy, so if we had not gotten the wetsuits and actually had to SWIM, I would have been dropped like a bad habit.
So gun goes off and I find myself next to Will Smith, who I knew was a sub 50 min swimmer and swimming with him would do nothing good for me....I kept it steady and backed off a touch while I waited for the group to come through...I found a gap and just like i was driving on the interstate, and merged in with only one kick to the goggles. Perfect, ALL IM starts should be like that!!!
The highlights of the swim were 2 stops...once for clearing the goggles at about 1k and then to try to keep my cap from falling off ;) which i didn't succeed at...oh well!!! I will say the water felt much cooler than this.
I got out of the water at the front of our pack and did my thing through transition....I always advise athletes to take it easy up the helix, but i really wanted to be at the front of the chase pack and I knew I would be ok with this short period where my heartrate would reach about 800bpm. I succeeded and rolled out with many of the favorites. Goal number 1, check!
From kilometer 1 I felt good. I sat at the back of the group for about 15 miles and then decided for whatever reason that I should go to the front...partly because I hate sitting in and I also wanted to break the group apart...STUPID!!! You cannot drop a pack of 7 at 20miles into an Ironman unless your name is Chris Lieto or Norman Stadler. I now know I have to wait until about 80 miles into the bike!
Anyway, I rode in 3rd or 4th for most of the first 45 miles while slowly clawing back the 2 leaders up the road.
Then around mile 45, while riding up a steep uphill, the 4th place rider sitting on my wheel came around and apparently I 'cheated' and drafted...while going 8mph, on a hill of 15% grade, i was riding too close! WHATEVER, but it is what it is!
"Well," I thought. "Now I have the experience of getting a penalty and maybe it will allow me to rest up a bit and take in some nutrition." Two problems.....one, I got a little heated and proceeded to drill the the next 15 miles to the penalty tent...two, i didn't have any nutrition left when i got there!!
Now I had to sit...for the LONGEST 4 minutes of my life...maybe! I sang the Jeopardy theme song, I joked with the locals and did a lot of staring at the stop watch....i know my antics were appreciated...but I also knew I was losing valuable time. After I got out I decided to get right back at it.....fast forward to the end of the bike....
Get ready....
Here it comes....
Wait for it....
I did NOT blow up on the bike!!!
What!?!?! Yes, your eyes are not playing tricks on you. Blake Becker did not blow up on an Ironman bike ride. I split 4:48:34 + the penalty on this tough course...which was a 30minute PR for me on that course. So goal number 2, check!
Now it gets ugly...proceed with caution. From the first step of the marathon I knew that was it. I think i might have literally said "Whoa!" within the sit few steps. I took in 30 Power Gels on the bike, but apparently not even that could save me. I started with a HR higher than I saw on the helix and to make a long story short, I went from slow to slower on the marathon and ended with a nice 6.5 miles of walking as a cooldown. Thus i had to for-go achieving goals 3 and 4 this year.
Anyway, I now know that it is possible for me to have a great race at this distance. I just have to use my head and take my own advice....which is similar to what others have told me for years! I also know that I race better at 165lbs, than I do at 155lbs. I think that I just needed to prove that I could ride hard for 180k and not blow up....now that it is out of the way, I can focus on things that really matter, like running well after it!!
Congrat's again to everyone on their races, all the local spectators and volunteers, in addition to my family and friends for their never ending support! You guys are what make it possible!
Stay Tuned....
BB
Ironman Wisconsin this year was Ironman start #17. I had a few goals for this race...which will follow.
#1 - To be in the first chase pack.
#2 - To NOT blow up on the bike.
#3 - To race MY race.
#4 - To WIN.
Well, I scored 50% on this test, which would mean that had i taken any other test at any school i attended growing up, I would have failed miserably! But this was Ironman and while I was looking to ace this test, I was really just hoping for some solid steps forward...and that I did achieve! Here's how the day went down.
Okay, race morning....I rolled into a super secret parking spot that I cannot reveal because it is always open on race morning. It is only 1 block from the start and if I told you I can guarantee I wouldn't be able to park there next year!! BTW - I heard about the spot from one of my athletes! Thank you Roz!
As I am walking down to transition I am thinking to myself how quickly the year goes by. It seemed like only last month that I was walking down to the Ironman transition....and no it was NOT because I raced an insane amount of IM's this year again... ;) This was my first.
I got most of my stuff out of the way and then went to get my tires topped off by the mechanic that was stationed next to our rack....I have to say that this is a huge luxury to racing at the front of the race. Well anyway, my tire was getting filled with air and when we went to pull the "crack pipe" adapter off, it took about a 6" section of disc cover with it :) AWESOME, I thought....i then asked for the duct tape! That stuff fixes everything, right!?! So 4 pieces of duct tape later, my ghetto ride was ready to roll.
I headed down to the swim start and got ready to roll. The swim was wetsuit legal and the water temp was about 76*....this was gonna be great! I mean don't get me wrong...I only swim with paddles and a pull buoy, so if we had not gotten the wetsuits and actually had to SWIM, I would have been dropped like a bad habit.
So gun goes off and I find myself next to Will Smith, who I knew was a sub 50 min swimmer and swimming with him would do nothing good for me....I kept it steady and backed off a touch while I waited for the group to come through...I found a gap and just like i was driving on the interstate, and merged in with only one kick to the goggles. Perfect, ALL IM starts should be like that!!!
The highlights of the swim were 2 stops...once for clearing the goggles at about 1k and then to try to keep my cap from falling off ;) which i didn't succeed at...oh well!!! I will say the water felt much cooler than this.
I got out of the water at the front of our pack and did my thing through transition....I always advise athletes to take it easy up the helix, but i really wanted to be at the front of the chase pack and I knew I would be ok with this short period where my heartrate would reach about 800bpm. I succeeded and rolled out with many of the favorites. Goal number 1, check!
From kilometer 1 I felt good. I sat at the back of the group for about 15 miles and then decided for whatever reason that I should go to the front...partly because I hate sitting in and I also wanted to break the group apart...STUPID!!! You cannot drop a pack of 7 at 20miles into an Ironman unless your name is Chris Lieto or Norman Stadler. I now know I have to wait until about 80 miles into the bike!
Anyway, I rode in 3rd or 4th for most of the first 45 miles while slowly clawing back the 2 leaders up the road.
Then around mile 45, while riding up a steep uphill, the 4th place rider sitting on my wheel came around and apparently I 'cheated' and drafted...while going 8mph, on a hill of 15% grade, i was riding too close! WHATEVER, but it is what it is!
"Well," I thought. "Now I have the experience of getting a penalty and maybe it will allow me to rest up a bit and take in some nutrition." Two problems.....one, I got a little heated and proceeded to drill the the next 15 miles to the penalty tent...two, i didn't have any nutrition left when i got there!!
Now I had to sit...for the LONGEST 4 minutes of my life...maybe! I sang the Jeopardy theme song, I joked with the locals and did a lot of staring at the stop watch....i know my antics were appreciated...but I also knew I was losing valuable time. After I got out I decided to get right back at it.....fast forward to the end of the bike....
Get ready....
Here it comes....
Wait for it....
I did NOT blow up on the bike!!!
What!?!?! Yes, your eyes are not playing tricks on you. Blake Becker did not blow up on an Ironman bike ride. I split 4:48:34 + the penalty on this tough course...which was a 30minute PR for me on that course. So goal number 2, check!
Now it gets ugly...proceed with caution. From the first step of the marathon I knew that was it. I think i might have literally said "Whoa!" within the sit few steps. I took in 30 Power Gels on the bike, but apparently not even that could save me. I started with a HR higher than I saw on the helix and to make a long story short, I went from slow to slower on the marathon and ended with a nice 6.5 miles of walking as a cooldown. Thus i had to for-go achieving goals 3 and 4 this year.
Anyway, I now know that it is possible for me to have a great race at this distance. I just have to use my head and take my own advice....which is similar to what others have told me for years! I also know that I race better at 165lbs, than I do at 155lbs. I think that I just needed to prove that I could ride hard for 180k and not blow up....now that it is out of the way, I can focus on things that really matter, like running well after it!!
Congrat's again to everyone on their races, all the local spectators and volunteers, in addition to my family and friends for their never ending support! You guys are what make it possible!
Stay Tuned....
BB
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Congratulations!
I will be posting a race report on my day at Ironman Wisconsin, but first I wanted to post a big shout out to all of you who had great races on Sunday. Chris and Justin on their 5th and 6th places, Becky on her 21minute PR, David Olive on his finish, Will on sticking it out to the finish, the other local and Timex athletes, in addition to all of my athletes who all had great days! Congrat's!!
Colin G - 11:08 - PR
Randy Y - 11:49 - PR
Scott S - 11:55 - PR
Jim G - 12:13 PR
Lauren W - 12:36 PR
Jon B - 12:59 PR
Roz C - 13:38 *With The Flu
Julie H - 15:27 PR
Matt H - 15:27 PR
Hope everyone is recovering well...enjoy it!
Blake
Colin G - 11:08 - PR
Randy Y - 11:49 - PR
Scott S - 11:55 - PR
Jim G - 12:13 PR
Lauren W - 12:36 PR
Jon B - 12:59 PR
Roz C - 13:38 *With The Flu
Julie H - 15:27 PR
Matt H - 15:27 PR
Hope everyone is recovering well...enjoy it!
Blake
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
The Power of Believing
It has been proven with science that there is not only a connection between the mind and the body, but that there is a connection between thinking positively and the body acting accordingly.
For many of you, including myself, it is now 5 days out from your ironman race. "All the hay is in the barn," and there is no more fitness to be gained or lost. The only thing you can do now is conserve energy and visualize everything going exactly how you want it to. I'm not saying to not think about the negative, because you should be prepared for it...but I am saying focus on and repeat the positive outcomes in your mind. Look back on your best training sessions, emails with your coach after these sessions and look back at mistakes from past Ironman races that you vowed you would not repeat!
Whatever your situation is, regardless of how you felt this morning when you woke up, know that 5 days is a LONG time. Anyone can do anything for 5 days...except maybe holding your breath, haha. Anyway....be good to yourself, don't take risks, don't worry about anything you cannot control and keep the stress to a minimum. If you do, you will be amazed at how much better you feel each day, as we approach the race.
On race day the only thing that you can do is your best and that's all that counts. Stick to your plan, stay in the moment and BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. This is something that I have followed all year and low and behold....PR's across the board.
Most likely I will not post before Sunday, so if not I'll write up a report after my 17th Ironman start! The body is great, I am strong, rested and everything is pointing to going very deep into that well on Sunday.
All the best to everyone racing!
BB
For many of you, including myself, it is now 5 days out from your ironman race. "All the hay is in the barn," and there is no more fitness to be gained or lost. The only thing you can do now is conserve energy and visualize everything going exactly how you want it to. I'm not saying to not think about the negative, because you should be prepared for it...but I am saying focus on and repeat the positive outcomes in your mind. Look back on your best training sessions, emails with your coach after these sessions and look back at mistakes from past Ironman races that you vowed you would not repeat!
Whatever your situation is, regardless of how you felt this morning when you woke up, know that 5 days is a LONG time. Anyone can do anything for 5 days...except maybe holding your breath, haha. Anyway....be good to yourself, don't take risks, don't worry about anything you cannot control and keep the stress to a minimum. If you do, you will be amazed at how much better you feel each day, as we approach the race.
On race day the only thing that you can do is your best and that's all that counts. Stick to your plan, stay in the moment and BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. This is something that I have followed all year and low and behold....PR's across the board.
Most likely I will not post before Sunday, so if not I'll write up a report after my 17th Ironman start! The body is great, I am strong, rested and everything is pointing to going very deep into that well on Sunday.
All the best to everyone racing!
BB
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