4,223 Yards…Oh My!!
by Coach Suzy
My alarm went off at 4 AM yesterday. After fumbling to hit the snooze button, I said, “Oh my God, what day is it?” He answered, “It doesn’t matter what day it is…you’re Ironman training…get your a#* out of bed!” Well, I guess that puts things in perspective, doesn’t it?! 🙂
My workouts are definitely getting more plentiful and longer, and this has been particularly apparent to me on my swims. As a person who learned how to swim as an adult in order to compete in triathlon, swimming has never been my strong suit.
As I was logging a recent 2,000+ yard swim workout into our online training system, I was not only reflecting on how far I’ve come (swimming 1,000 yards in an hour used to seem like a big accomplishment), but for the first time, I thought about just how LONG is that Ironman swim, and how long do I have to do it!? Almost as quickly as I hit the ‘Save’ button, Coach Joe answered me: 4,223 yards, and I have 2 hours and 20 minutes to complete it. 4,223 yards?!?! Oh my!!
Many years have passed since swimming 1,000 yards in an hour seemed like a big accomplishment, and things have definitely gotten better in the water. My swim improved enough that I got through my first Half Ironman swim in Racine fairly easily. As intimidated as I was by the sheer magnitude of that swim course, I just took it easy (after all, the swim is the warm up, right?!), put myself at the back of the pack, and swam a little bit wide of the group, following the buoy line on my right (perfect for me since I breathe right). The 1.2 mile swim was uneventful (just the way I wanted it), but I do remember thinking, “is this swim EVER going to end?!”
So, now as I look ahead toward my 4,223 yard Ironman Wisconsin swim on September 8th (and all my training swims that will get me there!), I think I’ll take the advice that Dory gives Nemo in Finding Nemo:
“When life gets you down you know what you gotta do…JUST KEEP SWIMMING!!” 🙂
“Believe” by Staind
It’s my life
It’s my choice
Hear my words
Hear my voice
And just believe in me
Cause I was made for chasing dreams
My 2013 Ironman Journey Articles by Coach Suzy:
The Hard is What Makes It Great
Suzy Cerra is a USAT certified Triathlon Coach with Experience Triathlon. As leaders in the endurance services industry, Coach Suzy and the Experience Triathlon staff help athletes of all ages and abilities achieve success in training, racing and life. Learn more about Coach Suzy and Experience Triathlon at www.experiencetriathlon.com.