It felt so good to get into the pool on Friday. Like really, really good. This was the first time I took a dip since my Olympic Triathlon in Atlantic City back in August. I really only planned to swim maybe 400m but I felt really good and it turned into 1000m.
I went about it in 100m intervals....swimming the 100m and then giving myself a 20 second rest and completing 10 sets. Taylor and I joined the YMCA this summer and I'm so glad we did. Our facility has three pools and the one pool is amazing. Six lanes of quality. Surprisingly it is always jam packed. Luckily, there were a few lanes open on Friday and I got it done. I know others would have been willing to share.
Friday night was spent at dinner with my parents and packing for a weekend trip to Philadelphia as my best friend and her husband decided for a random visit. Saturday morning Taylor and I got up super early to run with our friend, Vickie. I knew I had to call someone to run with me for accountability or I would have over slept and missed the workout completely. Vickie is one hell of a lady and I miss not seeing her as much. It was great to catch up with her and hear about her fitness adventures for 2017.
The rest of the weekend was spent in Philly doing super tourist things, drinking and eating way too much and belly laughs. Sometime it is the perfect medicine the doctor subscribes.
On to another week of meditation, workouts and burning off the thousands of calories I took in this weekend.
Everyone, meet Janice. She is the one who is going to have to put up with me most over the next250+ days. With unusual 60 degree temperatures in January, there was NO WAY I was going to run inside on the treadmill on a day like that. So we packed up our cars and headed to Fischers Park. Janice's babygirl, Brooklyn, tagged along with us and she did amazing in the jogging stroller. I have a feeling she's going to have to get use to it because IRONmama Janice will most likely be bringing her on more runs than not. It was great to see Janice experience what I do during Ainsley's Angels events pushing.
Brooklyn is a great little distraction and her laughing when we laugh is the cutest thing in the world. I got to pick Janice's brain a little bit and see where she is mentally as we go into this journey called Ironman.
Post-run I hung out at the dark for a little and did my meditation there. With a backdrop like that, how could I not.
I can't help but let doubt creep into my mind every so often...I'm not strong enough....I'm not fit enough...I'm not capable of doing this. Doubt is the worst thing, but it's digging deep and facing that demon head on and saying YES I CAN that will get me through my darkest days of training.
Things are happy go lucky right now but give it a few weeks and tougher days are ahead. But I've learned to appreciate my efforts and believe in me. YES I CAN!!!
In my eyes, it's pretty freakin cool when you and one of your best friends get to tackle a HUGE milestone together, like a half Ironman. That best friend is Janice. I just recently asked Janice to be in my wedding this October and as part of our wedding website, I asked all my bridesmaids to write a little blurb about how they know me. Here is what Janice had to say:
I met Amanda in second grade at Gwynedd Square Elementary. It was always easy to be friends with
her. She is outgoing, kind and leaves a lasting impression. Our friendship is simple, we push each other to be our very best! It started spending endless years competing on the soccer fields as kids. Soccer was life. Fast forward, we now share a love/passion for Triathlons. She's the only friend crazy enough to sign up for a 70.3 Ironman this September with me! Amanda is the most fierce athlete I know. She never quits!! I am beyond honored to be her bridesmaid and share this journey with her!
I am beyond humbled to hear those words come out of Janice's mouth, however, I'm not too sure if she knows how much she means to me. She taught me at a very young age friendship loyalty. For instance, she grew up loving the Backstreet Boys....I was an N'Sync fan. Two rivals, however, we loved each other for being opposites and regardless of musical preference, we still had each other. We sang our hearts out to both bands and told all our secrets as we laid on her water bed. Her basement bedroom was the coolest bedroom any of my friends had. In my eyes she was SOOOO cool. I was the lucky one.
Her humor, outgoing personality, and adventurous lifestyle are only a few of the things I love about Janice. I can remember going to her house in second grade, eating spaghetti and meatballs, dancing, and making up live performances. Luckily for me during middle school, Janice moved THREE DOORS DOWN from me!!! For nearly 7 years she was the first person I got to see EVERY morning. We laughed, shared stories, sat next to each other on the bus. Her hair was always a different color and most days ended with "wanna hang out later?" She was the best morning caffeine I could have.
From little 7 year olds, to now grown women, her as a mom, me as a soon-to-be bride, SHE is the one that inspired me to get into the sport of triathlon. She bugged me for YEARS and I always pushed back because I was too busy being just a runner. I am so grateful that she finally got me to commit to the Sandy Hook Iron Girl race in 2015 because this sport has opened my eyes to new challenges I never thought possible.
You're a wonderful mother, a terrific wife, a cherished friend and the greatest female role model Brooklyn has ever seen. Thank you for opening my eyes to new adventures....thank you for always believing in me when I don't believe in myself....and more than anything - thank you for being YOU. This journey would be nothing without you and it is because of YOU I hit the 'register' button.
The rest of the weekend was spent in Philly doing super tourist things, drinking and eating way too much and belly laughs. Sometime it is the perfect medicine the doctor subscribes.
