Building to Ironman Chattanooga...

The best friends ever!! Half way through my 112 mile bike ride Aug 2015

Wow, I guess I should have written sooner... A lot has been going on in my life, that it has been really hard to sit down and just write...The last time I wrote, the triathlon season was just beginning and I had just finished my two marathons...

Over the last few months, I have started training full time for Ironman Chattanooga... Yes, I am crazy, jumped on the crazy train and signed up in Sep to race my first Ironman... My husband got transferred to NAS Whiting Field to be the Executive Officer of the base in May, Donnie graduated from high school and we moved to Pace, FL (right outside of Pensacola).. Only I would do something like sign up for an IM when I knew I had to deal with moving and having my son leave.....

To be honest, the training has been my lifesaver, whenever I started to stress about training, moving or the thought of my son going to college, my training put things into perspective.. What a good feeling and to top it all off, I am now seeing the results of my training.. Yeah!!!!

This past weekend, I completed the hardest 70.3 race in Pell, City... The bike had over 3000 elevation and the run was the hottest, hilliest run ever.. Hardly, any shade and every half mile  on the run there was a climb up a hill.. no wonder Don didn't do this.. :) During this race, I thought, "Why am I killing myself.. I haven't improved at all, I am still walking the half marathon and the swim time was the same time I always had" Evil thoughts were running through my head and I was going to quit.. but I didn't. I kept seeing my teammates, who cheered me on and I kept moving forward!! I am so glad I did! Even though it was the hardest race, it was my best race..I had a 20 minute PR from Ironman 70.3 Muncie.. My consistent training, ignoring my evil twin and losing weight helped me with my PR.

Training has been hard, I still have my evil self telling me to wait until tomorrow, but I HAVE to ignore her..Seeing is believing...

This Speedy Turtle is now realizing that she will be able to finish Ironman Chattanooga and not hope to finish..

I need to always remember.. Perseverance, courage, commitment, consistency and Believing in Yourself is the secret...

I will try to keep everyone updated... I have some really heavy training weeks coming up and I will need to share...

Here is a gallery showing the results of the secret.. I am still amazed cause I still see myself as the person in 2010..

Keep on training!!
Eling aka Speedy Turtle....

2010 - my first Duathlon -  Los Locos

RRS 10K - Sep 2014

IM Muncie 70.3 - July 2014

Los Locos 2015

July 2015

Spring 2015

Yesterday, I went on a group bike ride and it was great. As I was riding and taking in the scenery, the group and my ability, I realized something.... being a part an athlete is not just about being able to do something, (swim, bike, run, etc...) it is a very mental game. Our group had a wide range of experience, yet we were all there enjoying the first ride of Spring and talking about getting ready for our next event. We all stayed together and rode our bikes.  Someone wrote on FB her thoughts "...Speedy Turtle is mindset not ability. It's all about being badass and taking everyone around you into badassery"  

Our Group of riders - Ironmen, newbies, half ironmen... 

This got me to thinking, what is triathlon all about and why am I doing this??? I am part of triathlon because no matter what group I have joined, everyone is encouraging and willing to be helpful and teach you what they  know or share their experience. This group of athletes support each other. My coach, a very experienced and ranked triathlete is the most inspirational person I know. If I am down, she is there to pick me up and get me back on track. My fellow Speedy Turtles do the same, other groups that I have joined on FB have been an inspiration too... We seem to want to help, inspire and have more people join the ranks of triathlon. 

Seeing this and seeing others inspire makes me realize, that Triathlon is for everyone:  slow, fast, good at one sport, or just good enough to finish all three sports during a race.. we are all there to encourage and cheer each other on..

So, I guess I would have to agree with the statement.... Being a Speedy Turtle is not about ability, but about  how you approach  the training, the race and the camaraderie... we do our best and encourage others to do the same... WE ARE BadASS and we will take everyone around us into badassery!!

Here is to Spring 2015 and the new triathlon season!!

My husband and I riding together!!!

Eling aka Speedy Turtle

Your new self...Just up ahead!!

Happy Birthday to me... Tonight is the eve of my birthday. I will be 45 and I have moved to the next age group for any triathlon race....

 I have been reflected all day on what has happened over the last year and wow what a year!...

It was a good year of training consistently, learning how to like myself and finally dropping weight.. At the beginning of last year, I had made a vow to start working on me... You know that is a really hard task. I spent time with counselors (mental and nutritional) and one of the things that had been blocking my weight loss was my mental health. I didn't like me. Over the past years, I avoided looking in the mirror  to see my whole body.. When I saw pictures of me, I didn't see how healthy I looked or that I had the scars of having a wonderful child, who is now going to college next year, or a wife to the best husband in the world who loves me no matter how I looked and called me his beautiful wife every day. No.. I would find all my flaws and focus on how I needed to improve my arms, my stomach, my butt and listen to the evil voices that I heard over the years... I was a hot crazy mess.... I have learned and I am still learning that I need to start liking myself. WOW... is that all, I can be who I want if  I "Like myself and believe in ME?!" That seems way too easy.. but it isn't.. So, over the year, that is what I have been doing.. focusing on improving me.

I started to look at the positives and listened to what my family was saying about me. I started to get rid of the negative thoughts that I have accumulated in myself over the last 45 years and put them in their place.. very hard to do.. and things started to change.. now.. this took almost 10 months before I started to see some change... but I am now seeing change.. I now look at myself and tell myself that I have accomplished a lot in my life.

• I have completed 5 half ironmans over the last 3 years
• I was able to successfully train and complete 2 marathons... this has been a goal for me since I was in my 20's.. So exciting.
• I have been successful in my career and I finally got a promotion.
• Finally, I have a wonderful family that have and always have supported me over the years and they love who I am. 

This is a process, but I will take it one step at a time..

Oh.. I need to add... since I started to believe in myself... I finally did it... I signed up to complete a full IM. I will be training over the next few months for IM Chattanooga... Yes, I watched my triathlon team this past fall and realized that with consistent training, a new mental health and the support from my family and friends that I can do it.... So this new year has many new challenges and I am happy to say I am looking forward to new year..

Here's to a new year!!

Speedy Turtle aka Eling