What I Heard You Say...

...that you really didn't say.

It's kind of like the saying that there are three sides to every story...what you said, what I heard you say, and then what you really said. The last five weeks of training for Ironman are like that.

Kelly Williamson, coach, friend and pro triathlete, told me while training for my second Ironman that you know you are ready for the event when you are officially "DONE" training. She didn't mean walk in the door after a brick, "Honey, I'm done." She meant DONE. Been there, DONE that, DONE. Nada mas por favor. DONE.

I'm DONE. Therefore, I'm ready. DONE getting up at 4:45am, done getting my second workout in by 8:30am. Done riding my trainer at 5am BEFORE heading out for long ride at 7am. DONE. Soft interpretation: READY. VERY ready.

But these past couple weeks I've discovered there is another way of knowing you are READY. It is when people say things to you in the most honest, sincere, caring way and your Ironman-warped mind totally hears a different statement. Here are a few instances I will share with you that have occurred over the past couple weeks.

Husband: "How far are you riding today?"
WIH (What I Heard): "There is no way in H.E. double hockey sticks that I'm even considering riding with you today."

Open Water Swim Sherpa: "How far is your open water swim this week?"
Me: "An hour and a half."
Friend: "That's a long way to paddle."
WIH: "You should really consider doing that hour and a half swim in the pool. Ain't no way I'm padding that long."

Man at convenience store where I stop for ice cold Sweet Leaf Tea on my long rides: "Sure is hot to be riding a bike in the middle of the day."
WIH: "You idiot. Who rides their bike when its 120 degrees heat index on the blacktop."

Friend I saw in BFE out on Ronald Regan Blvd riding her bike: "Hey, I heard you qualified for Kona and are heading back in October."
WIH: "You need to learn how to say NO."

Bike Partner: "How far do you need to ride this weekend?"
Me: "112 miles or 6 hours, whichever comes first then a 6 mile brick"
Bike Partner: "Ooooohhh."
WIH: "You just lost your bike partner."

Neighbor, who for the past two hours has watched me run back and forth down the same 1 mile section of road for the first 11 miles of my 20 mile run at 11:30 in the %^#*& blazing hot morning: "What are you training for?"
First, let me preface this with saying anytime anyone has ever asked me this question, I've been so pumped to spit out the latest, greatest, coolest event I was so excited to be training for. But never have I thought their question wasn't referencing "what", but with a different infliction, was asking "why"...
WIH: "Why the hell are you training for anything?"

Friend finishing up a Tuesday Nighter with us dipping what I was imagining freshly pedicured toes into the lake: "How do you find time to do all your training?"
WIH: "Get a life."

Yup. Officially READY!

Finish Line, Ironman World Championships, Kona, Hawaii






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