It's all about the journey, not the destination.....

Sooo, alrighty then, its taken me over 2 weeks to get back on the computer to put ’pen to paper’ so to speak. It feels like I haven’t written for an age and to be honest unless you wanted to read ‘ate, slept, trained, worked’ (with most likely a spelling mistake every sentence) for the 4 weeks leading up to Ironman Florida, then its probably a good thing I didn’t update you with my day to day activity. Life was somewhat hectic; a far cry from my meticulously planned out, prepared taper that I had spent time perfecting for Ironman Tahoe!

Following the cancellation of IM Tahoe, I thought this was quite fitting....

After being stood on the sand at Kings Beach, Tahoe, sucked into my wetsuit and mere minutes before the race start and finding out I wasn’t actually going to hear the words ‘you are an Ironman’ that day, the wind was taken out of my sails. I mean blown completely sideways.  I knew I wouldn’t be happy until I had signed up for my next race and by the following Tuesday I knew I was to join 3200 other Iron-loonies on the sand at Panama City Beach Florida on 1st Nov. Unfortunately left brain and right brain weren’t really communicating that well and, although I was glad to be racing, something just wasn’t there. It wasn’t my plan. (and for those of you who know me, know I am a creature of habit and I like to have a proper ‘plan’!). I went through the training process, not really thinking about it, which is the worst type of training. I had previously trained through three seasons feeling motivated, focussed, leaving each session knowing I had put 100% effort it and now it had all changed. The sessions were completed but not really enjoyed and, for the remainder of September, I felt like a balloon, deflated rapidly, trying in earnest to regain its proud form - ‘ppffffft’! Come October, Fall was in full-swing and my head was screwed back on correctly; a couple of long sessions and some good run sets saw me back to my normal self and, despite life being busy with my husband away, my mojo was back. A bit of course research and visualisation during my training sessions saw me excited to race again. I was back to bouncing around like a springer spaniel on Skittles! Yay!

A moment of Déjà vu!

So to the race…..

We arrived in Panama City Beach on the Wednesday before Halloween. A long travel day from West to East Coast saw us finish 22 hours of travelling with a spritely 20 month old. Luckily, Turbo Toby is a bit of a legend and travels really well so Team Wilcox arrived, in one piece, and still talking to each other! The next day, we were up and raring to go with a bike build, practice swim and race registration. Then, on Halloween, it was time to rack the bike! 

'Merv' my trusty steed racked and ready to go!

Kit for an Ironman...it takes time!

The 'Team Wilcox' Boys preparing for the race

The weather was perfect; there was a slight breeze ruffling the palm trees but the air was warm with the waves gently lapping the shore. ‘Ahhhh, race conditions are going to be awesome in Paradise’…. or so I thought! 

Conditions right outside our condo, the day before the race....

We woke up on race morning to the wind howling around the condo; and, after making my way out onto the balcony to witness the waves crashing on the beach, I beat a hasty retreat back into the warm condo for a cup of tea (you can take the girl out of England..!) The temperature had dropped by over 25 degrees! Without planning on needing warm kit, I had only packed a pair of arm warmers and a thin, but quite holey, cycle jersey. Hastily shoving it in my bag, I was mentally preparing myself for an English-weather type race.

Exposing an arm to the chilly air for number marking - bbbbbrrrrrrr!

Reaching the race site, everyone was huddled in fleece jumpers, tracksuit bottoms, sock under their flip-flops.. ok that was me; my inability to deal with the cold is not something I pride myself on, so yes, socks UNDER my flip flops is TOTALLY acceptable on a chilly morning! So, back to the beach, wetsuited up, making our way to the shore….. within minutes the announcer comes over to inform us that due to a strong rip-current the swim was cancelled. Whhaaaaaat?? The race would be a bike-run with a time trial bike start. I have to admit, I was a little upset but purely out of frustration. I had travelled all this way to complete an Ironman! As second time being disappointed on a start line within 6 weeks. However, I knew I needed regroup and refocus on the job at hand, there was still a 10 hour day ahead of me. To be honest, looking out at the crashing waves, and Coastguard boats pitching left to right desperately trying stay in control, there was slight relief. The swim would have been brutal.

The bike start began with the professional athletes starting off at 0800 followed by the age group athletes, in number order. Being number 3072 I knew I was in for a long wait. As many people have experienced, you plan your morning pre-race nutrition on the timings that you are given, so to start over 2.5 hours after you thought for, means you are going to require a slight tweak to your nutrition plan to make sure you don’t either: over-eat out of boredom whilst waiting, or don’t eat enough. I watched athletes being set off, marvelling at the lengths some people go to, to keep warm. People were riding extremely fabulous and aerodynamic bikes worth $$$$ but then wearing a huge overcoat, a balaclava and a pair of jogging bottoms! Completely bonkers! Anyway, I digress, athletes were being set of 4 at a time; and the cheer of the crowd as they took off on their 112 mile journey was fantastic! Cowbells ringing, whoops, hollering and whilstling - awesome stuff!

Excited to get going! 

Out on the bike and it was cold, but time to get my head down and legs into gear and see what the hours upon hours of riding in Nevada's desert and Tahoe's hills had prepared me for. Knowing it wasn't a 'proper' Ironman I made the decision to see how hard I could push on the bike. I don't think I have ever passed so many people on the bike and I loved it! As many of you know, I have worked hard on all three disciplines this year, but the one I have really put my mind to is the bike. I’ve always liked cycling but it wasn’t my favourite discipline. I had no concentration for cycling further than 2 hours and compared to the other 2 sports, it wasn’t my strongest discipline. However, 10+ hours per week of riding and spinning, as part of my training, put paid to that! It was a tough going for the first hour or so; really quite cold and a strong 20mph head wind until we turned right at the 30 mile point. We were then battling a cross -wind for company over the next 10 miles. A small section with a little bit of a tail wind, following another right turn, was a welcome break before heading back into the cross wind and the bumpiest road I could imagine in any race! On that section I lost most of my drink out of my aero bottle with it spilling all over me. It was a terrible road! So, it was a head and cross wind all the way back until the 80 mile point and then it was..... awesome! A left turn and boom! Such a good tail wind! There was a short out-and-back to add miles, which was again into the wind, but then it was back on the gas and heading home. I was pushing hard throughout, I think the hopping from person to person helped me focus. To be honest the first 2 hours passed by without me even thinking about the time! 

Quite possibly the most enjoyable bike split of any triathlon I have completed :)

It was at the half way point, under 3 hours, that I thought to myself that perhaps a sub 6:15 was possible, I didn't want to pile the pressure on and then be disappointed as I had no idea how my legs were going to hold up. So, at every 10 mile marker, I was amending my goal and that was driving me on. With 90 miles down I decide sub-6 was possible and decided to go for it. I felt so comfortable on my trusty Merv, only adjusting within the aero position to stretch out my shoulders every so often. My nutrition went well, I stuck to the plan most of the time but adjusted for what I felt like. For example I picked up some bananas segments a few times as I was completely fed up with Powerbar drink! I think that is important in any race; remaining flexible is the key! Coming in off the bike, my legs felt good. Transition was only 4 mins in total; I don't like to 'faff' about; I'm too impatient to get on the run! I decided against socks on the bike as I had toe covers but also I thought that I'd appreciate fresh socks on the run. So, shoes on, watch lapped and the longest wee ever! Haha! (I didn't stop on the bike at all) and then out in to the big cheering crowd, completely pumped that I had made it in not just under 6 hours, but in 5 hours and 50 minutes! Boom!

Out on the run: oh I felt so so good the first half marathon. I was holding a slightly quicker pace than planned but my lungs weren't working overly hard and my legs felt strong. At the 14 mile point however, my hips/pelvis started hurting. After evaluating the race since, I think it was due to being in the aggressive TT position the whole time. I experienced this pain in my last long run off of Merv, which I never did on my Cervelo. I think it just such a big change in the position, which I haven't trained with all year. Also, I knew I had pushed hard on the bike (I remember wondering about how my run performance would be affected as I felt my quads working hard whilst pedalling!). Despite my nutrition plan, I switched to just water on the run; my abdomen ended up so bloated and a little painful toward the end. I knew I had it in me to go faster but my pelvis was so painful. Seeing Chris, Toby and the lovely Nicky (who also travelled down from Pensacola to watch me race) at the 13 mile point was a great boost (much better than my honey sandwich which was rather disappointing and quite dry!)

Strangely I also found myself tired, as in proper eyes-drooping-shut tired, around mile 17. I'd never experienced that on training but then I supposed I was never 'that' fatigued! I found myself a little emotional at times. Not crying, but almost on the verge - very odd! I'm not a particularly 'teary' sort of person so it it was quite weird to be dealing with it. The last mile I picked up the pace. Adrenaline pumping, I ran past a girl that had been back and forth with me throughout the last 13 miles. She tried attack back with a burst of speed but I picked up the pace and dropped her (yay!). I then put on a bit of a sprint to get past other guys in front of me (I wanted to get a good photo on the finish line! Haha!). It's funny how you have that little extra gear boost when your body overrides all other sensible decision making emotions! 

My actual time was 9:59:47. A huge relief to get under 10 hours!

Crossing over the line, hearing the words ‘You are an Ironman’, it was a bitter-sweet experience as I’m ‘not quite an Ironman’ yet; more of a ‘Tin-man’ (as my husband likes to call me). There were some big lessons learnt from my race, especially on the run. On other hand, there were also some big positives from it too. For the most, my well structured, thought out plan worked; I felt completely calm and in control throughout and changes I made took into consideration how the race was proceeding. 

An emotional reunion with Chris

I found myself, half way through the run route, deciding never to do Ironman again, but I know I need to do a full race before I’m happy. But you all knew that, hey?! 

The smile says it all really....!

So now it is into recovery for a few weeks. Teaching my spin classes and going for a run, swim or cycle at a 'relaxed' pace. I'm taking the time to enjoy all three of my favourite sports again. Oh and getting some good stretching in! It's time for Team Wilcox to take a break both physically and mentally and get some time in as a family. Time to enjoy some lazy Sundays filled with hiking and pancake eating, rather than 4 hour bike rides and Power-bar eating! 

I owe a huge debt of gratitude for those of you who have joined me on this journey. My awesome coach Stefan Lawrence of tri-sl-training, my family (indeed, my grandparents who flew all the way from the UK to watch me race at Tahoe!), my friends who have followed my progress through the year and those of you who so kindly sat, glued to your computers, to follow me throughout the race and watch me cross that line and Nicky who drove all the way down to PCB and braved it through the long hours of spectating. However, not even one step of this fantastic journey could have been started if it weren't for my fabulous boys: my supportive, loving and generally fantastic husband (and in-house bike mechanic) Chris, my inspiration Turbo Toby and stepson Ross (who is renowned for asking me if I could 'just swim faster' whilst he was paddle-boarding next to me in Lake Tahoe). 

Its time to keep working towards the next goal; an exciting voyage though the next chapter, taking the high and lows of what dreams, tears, sweat and laughter give us. 

A small sign I found at the race expo summed it up really: 

'Only those who risk going too far, can possibly find out how far one can go' - T.S. Eliot

Until next time friends,

TF

x

The race with the highest DNF rate ever.........

So there I was, the morning of Sunday 21st September, mentally checking off everything I had completed: aero bike bottle full - tick, tyres checked and pumped - tick, wetsuit on - tick, double hatted and goggles on - tick, goodbyes and good lucks from the family - tick. Team Turbo was good to go!

Ooooh, and the announcer is just coming over the loud speaker to let us know the race will be starting be starting any minute…..ooooh, the excitement……! Then there it was:

 ‘‘County officials have recommended the race be cancelled’’….. Say What??? 

Click here to see the video of race morning cancellation....

Kissing Turbo goodbye and getting some race 'pep talk' from him, just 1 minute before the cancellation.

The silence of 3000+ athletes and spectators standing on the sand at Kings Beach was deafening. Disbelief and disappointment reigned; quietly and reluctantly 3000 athletes forlornly made their way back to transition to collect their carefully stowed bikes and belongings. Some still open mouthed, some with tears rolling and some just perfecting the 100 yard stare. Their careful, year-long, construction of the Ironman dream lying in tatters. 

Rule Britannia! Ready to Go! 

WTC and the race organisers made the absolute correct call to stop the race that day. They had waited until the very last second to make the decision; which I appreciate. If there was even an inkling of being able to race, I wanted to. Can you imagine an early cancellation based on a forecast, to then see winds shift to expose a beautiful smoke-free day? Ouch, i wouldn’t have wanted to be that race director either! As it happens, the smoke, which had us questioning whether there would be a race all week, rolled in late night Saturday and was quite stifling on race morning. Actually, it seemed like you could chew on it. It then proceeded to worsen throughout the day and when picking up the Run Gear bags from the Bike-Run transition (T2) at Squaw Valley, you could feel it lining your throat making breathing really quite uncomfortable. Running a marathon in that would definitely have been difficult!

These 2 photos were taken within 5 minutes of each other, at the Bike-Run transition and marathon area. Eeek!

I think the word ‘crushed’ probably comes to mind when i think about how I felt as I heard the announcer utter the word ‘cancelled’, although I completely understood the reason for it. All of us had worked so hard and dedicated so much time over the last year, that a cancelled race seemed like it was all for nothing. Training has crept into so much family time this year and despite the early morning sessions, many a time I have reluctantly left a happy giggly Turbo Toby playing contentedly with Chris, whilst I slipped out for yet another monster bike ride, run, and/or swim. Couple that with the mental preparation to take on what many tout as ‘The Hardest Race on the Ironman circuit’ and yes, ‘disappointed’ was a bit of an understatement.! Oh and not to mention that I had even braved the disgusting porta-loo in the swim-run transition (T1) only minutes before the ‘dreaded announcement’ Yuk! However, with the CA  ‘King Fire’ growing from 12,000 to 71,000 acres within the space of 48 hours, engulfing homes and livelihoods; how could I be angry? Putting everything into perspective, I’m at the fittest, cardio-vasular wise, I’ve ever been, have a happy and healthy family and, the journey to toe that start-line, had me pushing myself to my limit physically and mentally, dive;point me both personally and professionally. 

My grandparents had flown out to watch me race and we had rented a lovely little town-house in North Lake Tahoe. I had, what some might say was, the perfect taper. Swimming in the Lake, biking parts of the course and of course, eating like a shire-horse. My training through the year, bar a few colds and bugs, had been consistent, I had no injuries and was hitting paces and timing; ultimately I had trust in my training. It was ‘all in the legs’. So it was a bit like: ‘Bugger. What do I do now?’. Especially after a week of reduced training and eating enough carbs to feed a small African country! 

Clear skies the day before at T1 when racking the bikes!

Excited to feel the atmosphere and excited to race!

Sunday was a grotty day in the end and I was really glad it was. It matched the dullness of the deflated feeling I had; a stark contrast to what was supposed to be an epic day. Red wine and a game of scrabble was not what I had in mind for 6pm on Sunday evening! Saying that, it was a fantastic week to spend with family and I loved being there with them.

Half of my support team. Nan & Gramps. They flew half way around the world to come and support me.

Perhaps I should go into t-shirt design too......... ;)

Ironman for those who aren’t too aware is a pretty expensive and time consuming activity. Luckily this was a race that was fairly local to us, so travel cost was minimal We had a fantastic week with my Nan & Gramps, seeing Tahoe together and spending time with the boisterous, now 18month old, that roams the Wilcox household. So, from a cost perspective, we could take solace in the fact that all we had forked out for was race entry, coaching and a shed-load of GU carb gels (the salted caramel one is by far the best by the way). Luckily, on Monday we received an email saying that Ironman would extend a 3-option offer to all athletes that registered: we could race again this year for $100 (and they opened up some slots in other Ironman event which were previously sold out - bonza!), race Tahoe next year for $100, or race another Ironman in 2015 for 50% of registration fees. Straight away Chris and I identified which races were most suitable this year. Florida or Cozumel. Whilst Cozumel would have been paradise racing, financially Florida was the sensible option. 

I saw this t-shirt in a local sports shop on Wednesday. Coincidence or not, I think perhaps I should go and buy it......  

So, come Tuesday morning, my finger was hovering over the mouse, ready to click like a demon to get one of the 50 slots that were made available in Ironman Florida. Bearing in mind that the 50 slots made available for Ironman Arizona earlier in the morning were gone within 30 seconds of the registration website opening! Ooh, i love a bit of competition! Heart racing ever so slightly, I was ready. 12:56 - click refresh, 12:57 - click refresh, 12:58 - click refresh (for anyone who doesn’t know me well, i missed the line for patience). 12:59 - click refresh, 13:00:01 - click refre….boom! Frantic entry of credit card details and ticking all the boxes followed: ‘yes I agree to all the liability stuff’, blah, blah blah. Just let me race! And there is was in black, red and white: ‘Thank for registering for Ironman Florida (IMFL) on 1st November 2014. Waaaahoooo! Slightly different to what I have trained for mind you. Sea level with NO hills compared to Tahoe with its 6250’+ and elevation gain of over 6000’. Yep, this will be a completely different day in the office. This race will call for Merv, my trusty Time Trial steed to break loose from the garage and Sid Cervelo to remain at home. A choppy sea swim to start will give me the full washing machine experience to boot. Watch this you-tube vid to get insight into the crazy start. ‘People Soup’ as my mum called it! Luckily I have raced in similar conditions in France and Lanzarote, so know exactly what to expect.

Turbo Toby's new T-Shirt.....

Luckily, my awesome coach Stefan from Tri SL Training & Coaching has space to keep me on for another training block or two and my long-suffering and ever-supportive hubby Chris is right there alongside me, as he always is. Oh, and of course, my inspiration in the form of Turbo will be there keeping me on my toes.  So here I am, ready to extend my training for another 5 weeks; the fact I arranged to start a Nutrition Course, booked my Lifeguard Qual and undertake the USA Level 1 Swim Coaching Cert in this particular time period makes for one busy Mama but hey, this is the Wilcox family; we kinda thrive on it! 

Tahoe was my goal, everything I have trained for this year, I trained there, I adore the area and I would have loved loved loved to cross that finish line with friends and family around me; however, it obviously wasn’t meant to be. So, now I’ve had a really good practice at tapering it’s time to get the machine going again; a cheeky 1:10 run before teaching TRX tonight should do it.  This has been a little (and fairly expensive) blip on the journey map of the road to Ironman. I have to take the opportunity to thank every single one of my friends, family and colleagues who sent messages and notes of encouragement and good luck. I was truly touched and boosted by the massive amount of support behind me.

As Dory says… ‘just keep swimming, ‘just keep swimming’…..

Until next time friends, Happy Training! 


TF x

Top Left to Right: 

My fabulous goody bag from my friends / my office decorated by the fabulous Anytime Fitness.

Bottom Left to Right: 

A postcard from Katherine in the UK / My beautiful niece 'Pea' (Sophia) providing UK support!

Tick tock....tick tock!

Wowsers! A busy time in the Wilcox household the past few weeks! I bought a book a couple of weeks ago, in the vain hope that I may even be able to read a few snippets but alas, it sits, unloved, untouched and very much unread on my nightstand waiting for some attention. I fear it may be waiting there a little while…

It’s been a fun few weeks in terms of family time, as Ross (The most Senior, Junior Wilcox), arrived for two weeks of his Summer hols. With ‘Team W’ reunited, we all leapt into action with some camping, paddleboarding, kayaking, movies, water parks, go-karting, bowling and all the other uber-fun stuff that a 13 year old (and a 31 year old) boy could enjoy! Toby absolutely loved having his big brother around and the sounds of giggles and screeches emanating through the house, as each brother made the other laugh, was fantastic. The house was extremely quiet after Ross disappeared back to the UK and it was a sad sight seeing a forlorn little Turbo, toddling around the house calling ’Rooooooosss’; hoping that his big brother would come out and play ‘choo choos’ with him! 

Celebrating a win against Ross - wooohoo..... or perhaps not!

Another big family event, from over the other side of the Pond this time, was that Finley James, our brand-spanking-new-ultra cute nephew was born on 31 August. A little cracker! It’s just such a shame I’m not going to get to see him until the New Year; although FaceTime is a wonderful invention.  Not to worry Dan & Zita; we will be sure to extend the multi-sport influence from this side of the Atlantic!

Turbo Fit Personal Training & Coaching is doing well, with some new clients and some more interested in the packages we can offer; and business is also picking up at Anytime Fitness too. You might have seen from my Facebook page that three separate clients reported a 34lb, 20lb, and 9lb respective weight loss last week after weeks/months of hard work; seeing the look on their faces and being privy to such a personal achievement is inspiring. I love what I do and the opportunity I’m afforded to help others improve and test themselves everyday; seeing clients’ confidence change as their bodies change in both ability and shape, witnessing them reaching their goals and being proud of what they have accomplished!  So it’s probably no surprise that I’m excited about adding the next ‘tool’ to my repertoire in the form of a nutrition course through Precision Nutrition in a couple of weeks! I’ve been asked quite a bit about courses I have taken and what I’d recommend. Standby for more info on this in a later blog!

So we are now on the countdown and into the taper. 11 days, 10 hours, 16 minutes and 46 seconds to be exact. Not that I’m counting or anything…… It seems that everyone in Fallon is aware of my itty bitty race coming up at Tahoe. It really is fantastic to have people (some that I have never even met) come on up and ask me how training is going or ‘am i ready’ or ‘are you really going to do an Ironman?’ Mind you, it’s normally followed by a raising of an eyebrow and a ‘look’ as if to say ‘you are one crazy Brit!’

Training, up until around 10 days ago, was going well. Hitting pacing, set by my long suffering coach Stef, in the pool and out on the roads. I felt strong, I felt good but then…. 10 days ago Toby came home with a sniffle. As soon as I heard his first tickly cough and sneeze I knew that, as the current household ‘bug filter’, I would get it. Sure enough, 48 hours later my training had lost all ‘oomph’ and I felt it hit. Pah! Despite my urge to train through it, I decided I would try and stay on the ‘healthier’ side of the bug; only getting on a bike when I needed to teach my spin classes and stocking up on the vitamins and minerals and generally hydrating well. I didn’t get myself riled up that I was missing training; in fact I was completely (ahem) calm about the fact that my training kit remained neatly folded in my drawer. 

The heat of Nevada is sometime a little bit too much for a 2hour run set outside...
although the treadmill offers a bit more of a mental challenge!

My approach seemed to have worked (who knew rest and recovery were so effective eh?!) and on Saturday we headed up to Tahoe for the day and I took my chance to take on a wet-suited swim. If you have never swum in an Alpine lake then you are truly missing a treat. Crystal clear waters that originate only from glacial run off; a completely different experience to swimming in the often muddy puddles I have come across in the UK! 

'Lead-Dog' at the front of the swim pack......

Riding into the Nevada sun-rise. Just beautiful

Saturday evening came and went and there was still no sign of my ‘bug’ developing further post-swim, so I decided to to go for it. My final long training session on Sunday morning. Important to get in; not really from a fitness perspective but from building my confidence before the taper to race day begins. Back on the bike I felt strong and it continued during the following 1:30 marathon pace brick run, even in the 97 degree Nevada heat. 

Due to the intense dry heat out here, it's essential I stick with shorter run loops, using our house as a base. To prevent the urge to stop and collapse on the sofa, I leave a cool box at the end of the driveway with a few ice packs, some bottles of water and gels. Each loop, I return, fill my running bottle, pick up a gel and head back out. I know the pacing for each loop and, as long as there are no huge dogs trying to chase me off course, it’s a tried and tested formula that I have got ‘down cold’. Only in the last 10 minutes of the run I felt my form dropping off; however, I knew that was due to slight dehydration. Chris appeared on his mountain bike with Toby in tow and they rode alongside for a little while. His attempts at conversation were met, more often than not, with grunts from me as I was concentrating on not stopping but he comes in handy for pointing out when I’m looking good with running form and most importantly, when I’m not. Throughout the year I have been working on my form, specifically during longer run sets learning to recognize when my gait changes slightly or my chin and shoulders drop; so a quick few ‘efforts’ saw my form return and I finished strong, albeit rather thirsty! Back at home and a dunk in the paddling pool to cool off (it’s handy having a resident toddler!) and then it was on with the compression gear and a recovery blend up of chia, banana, almond milk and yoghurt to help the recovery process. And so the taper begins…..

Until next time friends. Happy Training! Now where’s that book…..?

TF

xx

A week of cycling and a bit of inspiration....

Sitting down….. one of the worst things humans can do in terms of compromising their body placement, being forced into a position by aesthetically pleasing pieces of furniture that provide not enough/no postural support……but this afternoon it feels sooo good! With a few extra spin classes to cover, for the past week I have been mostly been parking myself on a small piece of padded leather and calling it my ‘office’. So, to relax (even if it is relaxing - ‘Sarah Style’) and not worry about having to try and 'remove' a saddle from my derriere at the end of writing this blog is quite a relief!

The end of the week normally sees me going into the weekend training sessions with some fatigue in my legs and ready to unwind. In other words, on a Saturday morning when all I want to do is drink coffee and chat with my husband, eat a relaxed breakfast and play ‘mega-blocks’ with Toby, I’m hitting the tarmac for a 4 hour ride at 6am. Sunday: repeat (but complete as a bike-run brick session). So this Sunday I was trundling on the bike (yes, ‘trundling’, a word I use when I’m just trying to keep my normal pace but rather unsuccessfully). I was cursing the wisp of wind that was in my face and two excuses for legs that felt like lead. Then, on the podcast I was listening to (IM Talk), came an interview with two people who completed Ironman Cairns in Australia. No biggie eh? People complete Ironman races all.the.time. It’s a bucket list tick for many. This story struck me though. 

The lady being interviewed, Sharn McNeil, up until a few years ago was a happy, healthy Nurse who participated in triathlon quite successfully. Then, in 2013, at the age of 30 she was given the life-shattering news that she was suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). ALS, (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease or Charcot's disease, and motor neuron disease (MND)) attacks certain cells in the brain and spinal cord needed to keep our muscles moving. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed and ultimately suffer respiratory failure. The diagnosis bought Sharn’s life to a screeching halt, and became the beginning of an incredible and inspiring journey.

She, and a team of family & friends formed Shining4Sharn, a team who decided that the fast-acting disease would not deter her from achieving her Ironman dream. Luckily, many event organizers allow assisted athletes (another subject that I’m passionate about, after helping launch the Para-triathlete movement between the three UK Armed Forces Triathlon Associations) during their races; allowing people with all limitations to compete. Sharn’s friend and race partner, Craig, wore a harness that pulled her on a kayak on the 2.4 mile swim leg; her recumbent bicycle was attached to his bike during the 112 mile ride and he assisted her with a wheelchair, when needed, on the marathon.  Not content with being a passenger, Sharn’s bike, with the help of Specialized & Shimano, was also modified to allow her to actually pedal throughout the race. The pair met every race cut-off and, after 16 gruelling hours, 24 minutes and 21 seconds, Sharn was able to see all of her supporters cheering as she was assisted in walking to the finish line to hear those 4 special words: YOU. ARE. AN. IRONMAN.

The tragedy of this disease is that there is no known cause or cure. Furthermore, the patterns of weakness and rate of progression vary from person to person, making any research effort extremely challenging. Sharn’s particular type of MND is the most aggressive form and life expectancy is 2-5 years. So, not content with just completing an Ironman, Sharn has continued to fight for more attention and funding for research into the disease and inspired others to do the same.

“I accept it because somehow I must be the best person to deal with it – or else it wouldn’t be my journey. Fighting it won’t help. That will only make me weaker – and waste my energy on futile effort. My daily symptoms tell me I’ve got what I’ve got, I know that. I need to embrace it and work with it.”

Now, as my family and ever-devoted husband will attest to, when sympathy was being handed out, I kind of missed that line. I’m hard and critical on myself and extend similar to those around me  However, this podcast caught me off guard and for the rest of the ride made me consider things in life which I take for granted or curse myself for not being able to do. It wasn’t a ‘the world looks brighter now’ moment but just a realization that this body is moving me from A to B (and all the way to Z most of the time), day in-day out, without much complaint or grief. Those heavy legs, instead of being mocked for not being strong on this particular ride, should perhaps be given a bit of credit for a week of heavy training. It just made me think. A LOT.

Now, I’m sure that I will continue to have moments of self-criticism of my performance during training and racing but this story has served as a take away a lesson, inspiration if you will, that even when faced with threat and uncertainty, the human body can do amazing things. The story of this inspirational woman and the cruel debilitating disease she is dealing with each day, is just one example of someone pushing themselves to show that a disease, although limiting them physically, does not define them. We all battle our own demons, but direction in the form of sport or any other challenge can expose our real mettle beneath.

You are stronger than you think.

Happy Training friends. 

TF

x

If you would like to learn more about Sharn and her battle, please visit: 

http://www.shining4sharn.com.au/howyoucanhelp/

Don't squat with yer spurs on.....

Its been a busy week in the Wilcox House and the world of Turbo Fit. We have expanded the business to the ‘Online’ world of training and this week saw the initial assessments with my first Online clients, via FaceTime! Yay! I’m very excited to see where this leads and I have so many different ideas of how to keep people on track, remotely and bring an injection of motivation and variety into their training! Elsewhere, other Turbo Fit athletes were completing their taper for triathlon races this weekend; so as a coach I love to keep on top of what they are doing in their countdown to race day. It’s also been a busy client week at Anytime Fitness, the gym where I am also a Personal Trainer, here in Fallon. We are a relatively new gym (read 2 months old) in town and there are a lot of people starting out on their own fitness journey. It's great to meet so many different people; all with their own stories & experiences to tell too!  

When I'm out training, I often see Fallon's 'real life' cowboys - 
I saw this and thought it completely appropriate for our little town!

For me, this week was a recovery week with regards to training. I currently train on a 3 weeks 'on' / 1 week 'recover' periodized training schedule. This means that the three weeks of ‘normal’ training sees a gradual build up of distance and intensity, pushing limits and generally working hard. Saying that, workouts are scheduled so I can optimize recovery in between sessions so I go into each one raring to go. By the end of week 3 however, I’m feeling the training effects, am a little fatigued; physiologically & psychologically. As with any plan, it never survives first contact with the enemy….every day life. As much as my coach Stef plans for the perfect week, alas it never normally goes to plan. Who can plan for the perfect week when you have a tiny person who is susceptible to coughs/colds/broken sleep and just loves to share any ‘bug’ he comes into contact with, with his mum?! So I find my self swapping sessions about a little to make sure I can complete them all; I also have to recognize when a session or two just needs to drop off (as much as I hate doing that!). Historically I have been known to try and complete a couple of swims, a run and a bike all in one day! However, after a few years of educating myself, I know that if I feel fatigued, sore, or injured, then I need take a step back and allow myself to heal/recover. If I feel strong, then I know I keep pushing the workouts. I hate missing training , however with less than 2 months to go I have to ensure I stay on top of good nutrition, recovery and of course spot those tell-tale signs! Although sometimes it takes an outside influence to make me realize it! (thank you Chris, Stefan & Judith). 

During the final hour of my long 2-2.5 hour runs, my boys sometimes join me.
That always helps me pick up my pace! 

So, after 3 weeks of hard work comes a recovery week. Despite the vision that the word ‘recovery’ brings, unfortunately its not quite lazy summer days filled with leisurely breakfasts followed by coffee & cake, supping Piña Coladas whilst watching the sun go down each evening! Recovery week is the week in which generally training volume and intensity is lowered; a chance to ease off and focus on things like technique or form. Although it sometimes sees me taking on a test set in the pool or on the track, I might complete some speed work or perhaps I might be working on one discipline harder than another for a session or so. Either way, by the end of it I’m still looking forward to that all important rest day.

Rest day for the Wilcoxes is always a misnomer. If we are not tied to a schedule due to childcare, work or training then we like to escape our small town. Even just for a few hours. We live in the middle of the desert, and despite all the basics we need being here, it doesn’t have the amount of facilities you would find in a big city. Sure, we can entertain ourselves quite happily over a weekend as Fallon is host to a number of events: the Cantaloupe Festival (yep, a festival about melons!), the Rodeo, local Raceway events and much more. However, our favorite getaway is Lake Tahoe. A 90 minutes trundle up the road and you are eyewitness to one of the most spectacular lakes in the world. At just over 6000ft at lake level, it’s roads, waters and trails make it a triathlete’s picture perfect playground. With me on a rest day, it was Chris’ turn to take his bike for a spin along the shores of the ‘Lake of Crystal Clear Waters’. The road that snakes it’s way around the Lake takes riders on some impressive climbs; some short and sharp, others  force you up a 1000ft within a relatively short distance. Compared to the flat riding of Fallon (and Lincolnshire, where we lived in the UK), the breath-taking Alpine Lake view on one side of you, versus the craggy mountainside on the other is something that reverts you to a child-like state; making you want to go ‘wwwhhhheeeeee’ as you zoom down the back side of a climb! (I always get a few odd looks when doing that…!) Awesome stuff!

Squeal and giggles in Lake Tahoe!

So come the afternoon it was time to settle down for some family fun at the dog friendly beach near South Lake. Toby loves swimming, so Chris wasted no time on getting him into the lake whilst our Border Collie spent a few frantic hours chasing a stick in and out of the water.  Sand everywhere, water everywhere and one tired dog and baby. Home for a quick BBQ and the rest day is complete!

So we are on a 7 week countdown to race day now. Training will become a little more intense and race focussed over the next few weeks and will settle down leading when I start to taper. Onwards and upwards (or should that be forwards?)!

Until next week friends, Happy Training! 

TF xx