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Post-Odyssey Thoughts...

Monday, 28 October 2013 07:10

FInal Thoughts - The best experiences in life are rarely easy…Mark Allen

By Michelle Andres (teamandreskona.blogspot.com)

Tidbits…
I’ve completed 4 Ironmans.  The first 3 were IM Wisconsin in 2006, 2008, and 2012.  The first one I completed when my boys were 8, 6, 6, 6, and 5 and I was getting my degree for teaching while working part time and training for an IM.  My finishing time this first time through was 12:25 (with a flat and rain the entire day); the next time in 2008 the clock read 11:03 (4th in my AG and just missed a Kona slot).  In 2012, with my third time finishing I broke the course record and finished in 10:05.  My 4th IM finish was a week ago on the biggest stage the triathlon world has to offer.  I was able to get into the 9 hour mark with a 9:50.  I went from the 12s to 11s to 10s to the 9 hour mark.  I did this with no coach, working full time and still being a mom and a wife.  I did this because I never stopped believing that it was possible....

The Taper…I took a long taper for this race and kept cutting back each week waiting for the fatigue to leave.  I had done a lot of volume over the summer and was completely surprised how long it took to get the fatigue out of my body and get the sharpness back.  I trained differently this time for Kona than I did for Wisconsin and my taper needed to be different too.  The taper is the hardest part for me.  It really takes believing in what you have done and doing less is really doing more.  I was feeling very tired and was worried I was gaining weight, but I stuck to a clean gluten free diet and it all worked out.  I use to show up to races – triathlon and running races - and look around and see people who looked really fit and think, they are going to be fast!  But just because someone looks a certain way on the outside doesn’t mean they are guaranteed to be fast or slow.  What goes on between the ears is more important than what a person’s body looks like on the outside. 

Every taper needs to be adjusted for how the body feels.  I had intentions of doing more volume and even more intensity work leading up to race day, but I could tell my body didn’t need either so I scrapped those plans and readjusted.  This is one thing with being my own coach, I have learned to train through feel and can tell what my body needs and doesn’t need.  I have made adjustments to my plans so many times because training is going really good or not going really good.  My training plans are a constant working project.  I’m constantly researching and reading the latest studies and articles. I love trying new sessions and seeing how I feel and/or how my body adapts or doesn’t adapt to those sessions. READ MORE