the stories we tell ourselves.

During a short recovery run along my regular route a few weeks ago, my legs felt like sausages.

Ugh… they’re so heavy… I’m so tired… is this done yet?… I don’t remember being this sore during my last IM build… why am I doing this?!… 

One negative thought after negative thought after negative thought. 

Then, about halfway in, this sign appeared… 

I gentle reminder that I *get* to choose how I feel and how I react to any situation. And just like that, my mindset shifted back to where it usually is: to the positive. 

Not gonna lie, the build to IRONMAN Canada has been challenging. Unlike previous builds, it’s been tougher to stay focused. To be ON all the time. To constantly juggle training, work, errands, downtime, eating, sleeping, life (oh, and we bought a house in the middle of it all, too!). So much so that I took the week after Wisconsin 70.3 completely off. 

But that little swimbikerun break was exactly the mental recharge I needed. 

After that, my approach to the last big four-week build to IRONMAN Canada shifted – to one day at a time. I focused solely on the workout I was doing – and not the one that came before it, the next one or what was on deck tomorrow. I stayed present, running the mile I was in. And I remembered to smile (because that makes the uncomfortable a bit more bearable, right?!). 

In short, I changed the story I was telling myself. 

Because when our self-talk is negative – another early morning at masters?! … I’ll never hit those bike watts … this is so stupid… – it’s no surprise that the outcome likely isn’t gonna be what we aim for or want. And we surely won’t have fun along the way. 

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With that, here we go! My bike is racked. And I’m ready to chase my light. But, most importantly, I’m ready to have fun tomorrow on the spectacular course where my love of this sport all started in 2013 ♥

I’m bib 168 – you can track me online or via the IRONMAN Track app. Thank you, everyone, for all your support and cheers along this crazy journey ♥