The BFF: This week I bragged and thought a lot about BFF Mere’s accomplishment last Sunday: a 1:18 half marathon!! This time is still mind-boggling to me. Although she lives a state away, we are sort of virtual training partners, checking in and tracking one another’s progress daily. I am not sure there is anyone else in our sport who does some of the crazy-hard stuff that she stacks into some of her training days, and it inspires me so much to see this work working. In swim-bike-run, the girl has no weakness now. I keep telling myself that to PR my half marathon next week, I “just” have to run 10 minutes slower than Mere!
Email from Coach: I had a couple of very tired days last week following my first 5-hour ride in months. What I love about my coach is that he didn’t reply to my training log comments about being smashed with a, “take an easy day,” or “listen to your body.”
None of that crap.
Instead, I got this message in an email: “Another couple long rides and you’ll be right on top of it.”
Love it.
My Girls: Okay this was more “motivation” than inspiration, but sometimes it is what will follow that gets me through a session. On Friday afternoon, it was the thought of “girls’ night” with my girls here in Tucson that got me through a tired four-hour ride.
My athletes: If you have been reading here for more than a week, you know that my athletes are continually doing things to push their own limits, and that inspires me. Right now, on the road to her first Hawaii Ironman in October, Ms. Alyssa is discovering a whole new world of swimming, and this weekend she crushed her first 100×100 swim experience. Read about it here.
My Sponsors: This past week, we have been finalizing details of a couple of new relationships with sponsors—details to come! But my point here is that these relationships get me excited; not only does this support enable me to be better-equipped to focus on my training and racing, these companies believing and investing in me inspires me to work even harder in order to do my best for them.
What was your inspiration this week?? Please share!
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Awesome Mere!!!!! Wow. Super duper impressive. Possibly even blog worthy?
What a great topic. Various people have inspired over the years: several teachers, a couple of bosses, my first gym instructor who taught me how to train, but the most special person has to be my grandmother (I was brought up by my grandparents after my parents divorced) who molded me into who i am today. I think a lot of her when I train and race. she’s my guardian angel.
Funny what and who inspires each of us. Actually one of my go to memories when I need to dig extra deep in training or racing is thinking back to watching the great Hillary Biscay fight back after be dropped on the run to come back and win Ironman Wisconsin. I remember the feelings, the smells, the chills that I had watching and screaming for you as you come up State St. and around the capital building at mile 25.5 !!! Damn , that gets me pumped up right now
)))