Weeks 2 and 3 done!

Well, 2 more weeks closer to Lake Stevens Half Ironman.  I can tell you that I get even more nervous as the weeks pass.  I am constantly thinking of what it's going to be like to hit that finish line....  I can't even imagine what it will be like now, but I can assure you, on race day, I will be soaking in every second of it.  My most favorite part of any race is hitting the finish chute and seeing all the spectators there, shouting you on for that last stride to the line.  Seeing family and friends there is always the best feeling, not only knowing they are there, but that they are supporting me through this endeavor I have decided to pursue.

My totals for the past 2 weeks are as follows:

Week 2:
Swim - 4250
Bike - 20
Run - 25.6

Yes, the bike miles and run miles are weak, but I had a long weekend in with an 8 mile Saturday run, and a 13.1 Sunday run (Race 4 the Roses Half Marathon)

Week 3:
Swim - 1200
Bike - 37.5 (50 miles planned for Sunday)
Run - 5.25 (10 miles planned for Saturday)

Week 2 was one of my better weeks, except for my mileage drop on the bike.  This was due to the Half-Marathon I paced on Sunday.  I paced the 9 min/mile group and we did awesome.  Finishing in just under 2 hours and getting my runners across that line alive.  For most it was their first half-marathon, but for one older man that ran with me, this was about his 12th.  He told me at the start that it was a life-long goal of his to finish a half-marathon in under 2 hours.  I told him, "if you run with me, I'll get you back to this line in less than 2 hours."  He smiled, and said "you're on".  The horn blew and we were off.  At around the halfway point, we were at 58:30, meaning based on that time, our finish time would be 1:57:00, which was perfect.  We continued on, and with it being a flat course, the pace was consistent around 9-9:05.  At mile 11 I turned to the man and said "How you feeling?"  He looked back and said "Um, if I pass out, just leave me. :-)"  I told him I would carry him to the finish line if needed.  We hit mile 13, with only .1 miles to go and 2 minutes to do it under 2 hours.  I told him we gotta book it, so we both took off, and several came with us.  We crossed the line at 1:59, under 2 hours.  He looked at me with a smile, and I gave him a high five.  It felt incredible knowing that I helped this man complete a life long goal of his in running.  It was a great feeling at that finish line.  I stayed around watching for my get fit live fit runners to cross the line, and giving them high fives as well.  It was a beautiful day and a lot of people completed something they have never done before, whether it be their first half-marathon, or their first half-marathon under 2 hours.

With all that running that weekend, I was unable to get a long ride in.  Needless to say, I'm not too worried, as my legs suffered enough with all the running, and were plenty sore that weekend.

Week 4 is starting with a bang this week, with a 10 mile run tomorrow, and a 50 mile ride on Sunday.  It should be a blast.