Slow Woman Prepares for 1st IM
Hi, all,
I was inspired by Stephanie to post on the Women's Forum. Just signed up for EN and am a little intimidated by all the fast (mainly guys but women too) times I am seeing out there. I'll admit it ... I am slow! I won't give up but it may take me a while. I know I am in the right place for coaching but my goal for my first IM is just to cross the finish line by midnight. I am scared stiff (but excited too) and the darn IM is in September 2015 (Wisconsin). Can't imagine what the week before is like. I think about the race and picture crossing that finish line daily.
Please tell me someone else feels this way!
Cristi
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Mostly, I just wanted to say that I felt a bit intimidated when I first started posting in here as well and was shocked at all the fast #s the team puts up. Embrace it! There's so much knowledge and everyone is super supportive.
So excited to follow your journey to the IMWI finish line!
Hi Cristi,
I am super excited you're doing your first IM and it's Wisconsin. I'm doing my 6th full this year and didn't became an EN member until after my success in Wisconsin, which I give credit to Coach Rich for his awesome 4KEYS Youtube. By chance, I googled IMWC bike course because I'd heard it was technical and found EN's Youtube. After watching one video on EN's race execution, I had a PR marathon!!! So with all this said, you're for sure in the right place and although I'm new to EN I've found everyone extremely helpful and super positive.
So far, Wisconsin's been my favorite IM.
Let me know if you have any questions regarding racing IM from a females perspective. If I may give you one piece of advice now, it is to enjoy the journey and be prepared for IM to change your life (in a good way).
Dana
Howdy!
From a slow woman too. When your surfing the Wiki under the resource tab, keep an eye out for an article that Coach P. wrote titled " Eleven minute super star". You will understand soooooo much more once you have read it.
No one cares what "time" you put down. I get as many strava kudos as the fast guys. It's about who YOU are. Come join the party, drink some EN kool aide (be careful Dino spiked it) and get ready to hoot, holler and cry when you see EN colors cross the line. There is no place as cool as this. Welcome home!
Have a great time suffering. ~Jacklyn
Whistler is a hard bike course - and still I pr'd the run. Speed is relative.....
Enjoy the journey!!! I am doing my 4th and it's IM - Choo!
SLOW! yay! I started all this 4 years ago...running 13 minute miles...then got myself to 12, then hurt myself...started again...I've just graduated from 16,15,14..13:20 is best so far I think. It comes along. At 50, everything seems to take a little longer, but then again at 50, I have a MUCH better perspective than I did at 40 and under, when I thought I just HAD to be faster faster faster. The speed comes with work and diligence now and I have to be smarter about it.
11 minute super star, that sounds great!
Welcome from a slow woman! I had my first IM finish experience at Mont Tremblant in August thanks to EN. I am quite proud of my 16:44 finish, I had Mike Reilly all to myself at the finish line, and there were a lot of EN folks who came back out after their speedy races to cheer on the rest of us in the last hour of the race. What made a huge difference for me was doing the EN IMMT training camp. I met so many wonderful people, Coach Patrick broke down the course for us, we practiced on the course, and that made a huge difference for me on race day. I executed my plan, felt as good as one could feel doing it, finished, and I want to do another IM and know that I can be a lot faster next time. The EN team spirit is especially awesome during race week.
You are in the right place to get you to YOUR finish line.
IMFL is my first this year! We'll be First Time Finishers together.
Maria, I doubt you're slower than me. PF is no fun! www.althletestreatingathletes.com is a great site for self-care. Cheers!
Hi Ladies,
No matter what your finishing time is, IM will help you achieve so much in your future. Bet on it! I've been racing triathlon since I was 28 and did my first IM in 2012 at Beach2Battleship in Wilmington, NC. I'm training now for IM Chattanooga and hope with coaching to improve my time but honestly, as Stephanie eluded to, it's really about the journey and feeling good to me.
Having said that and being 51 now, things have definitely changed in many ways. Managing weight, energy, nutrition (taking time to eat) and especially mood due to menopause is a real challenge! I'm dealing with my first real injury (posterior tibial tendonitis) that keeps me from running long or getting faster, for now.
Are any of you experiencing menopausal symptoms? I'm a "the glass is half full" kind of girl but damn!
Melissa
51 this month. I don't think I had much of a menopause issue. My periods just stopped a few months ago...October I think. Sleep is the most important thing to me. Can't seem to get enough of it!
Cheers to our journey here!
Cheers!
Melissa
I'm 51 tomorrow and getting PT etc for a hamstring tear and I thought of you and this thread. How is it going? are you running again yet?
Hope you have an awesome birthday Stephanie and thanks for thinking of me. I am running but only for about :30 at a time. I ran 5 miles yesterday and was thrilled to do it at 10:30's (fast for me) but my foot paid the price this morning when I ran :30. Trails used to feel better than the road but that's changed. Hate to hear about your hamstring issue. I've been racing different sports since about 26 yo with very little stretching involved. I've learned that wasn't smart. I knew it but ignored it.
I'm thinking I might try the run/walk method. Just not sure what ratio to use. I did it for an ultra in early 2014. Ran 5 minutes, walked 1 minute. I was out there for-frickin-ever! I walked slow when I walked. Hope you soak up the PT and get on the mend quickly.
Best,
P.S. Stephanie - I'm originally from St. Petersburg, Florida. Did most my triathlon and "mountain bike" racing in Florida. Miss the salt water for swims and Olympic size outdoor pools for training!
I have the pleasure of swimming in a 75 meter pool. I should use it more often! I do not like the saltwater unfortunately. I'm going to have to start swimming in the ocean though, soon. Ugh!!! St. Pete is beautiful and much more peaceful than Miami. I love to play golf at the Vinoy Club.
Hmmm. How do you do 100 yard repeats in a 75 m pool? When I raced Beach2Battleship IM in Wilmington, NC - it'd been so long since I'd been in salt water. The intercoastal was SO salty. I'm surprised it didn't make me gag. Swimming is getting more tolerable for me. I honestly think the mantra I've been saying while swimming (I love swimming, I love swimming) is convincing myself it's true. I actually looked forward to the swim test yesterday.
The Vinoy is in a beautiful setting. St. Anthony's triathlon is this weekend. Season opener for many! Hope you're enjoying the weekend! My Half Ironman phase starts tomorrow. Time to really start working!
Yeah, so I have to adjust the workouts for 75 yards (sorry not meters). I have to think it's an advantage since there are no walls or flipping in open water.
There are also no lines on the bottom of this pool so I practice sighting on different palm trees to stay on course.
Now all I have to do is get there more often. Ridiculous since it's less than a mile from my house.
You are definitely not alone in feeling nervous insecure and downright scared about your upcoming event but please know that if you do the training and you get your nutrition down you will see that finish line on race day and be so proud of yourself.
The Ironman journey sets you up for success in so many other aspects of your life.
I am excited for you and will be cheering you on from cyber space!
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