Sometimes physical improvement is imperceptible. You think you're making gains--running faster, going longer--but it's difficult to really tell. And, if you're anything like me, you want immediate gratification. I've never been able to wait for anything; I remember when I was a kid on Christmas morning...I would wake up at about 4:30am, sneak out to the living room, see what Santa had brought us (gifts from Santa were unwrapped) and then have to endure three hours of nothingness, sitting in the dark waiting for everyone else to wake up. It was torture. And so is waiting to increase your bike speed...one measly mile per hour or running a mile thirty seconds faster. Patience, I keep telling myself.
During the past four months I have had my greatest lesson in patience; something that has taught me to do that thing that is hardest for me--wait. In May, I suffered an unexpected loss, the kind that blind-sides you, like being sucker punched in the head. For those who know me, you know what I'm speaking of; for those of you who don't know, let's just say that it's the kind of loss that feels akin to being hit with a baseball bat in the back of the knees. I had to learn that faith, trust and patience were going to pay off for me. And it did. With time (and a ton of patience) positive things began to happen...and I know they will continue to happen.
Oh, and so you're wondering....how does this fit into an Ironman training blog? As I mentioned in the beginning, my improvements in physical strength and endurance are small, almost baby steps and I have to be patient as I wait for them to reveal themselves. I have faith that they will.
This week was a tough one (training-wise). Yesterday I ran 10 miles and today I biked 63 miles followed by a 30 minute run. The improvements that I'm waiting for did NOT reveal themselves today!
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