My First Time

I am approaching the end of my first year with Practical Coaching and as I look back I sure am surprised what this year has turned out to be. I did not expect to have the ride that I did. I did not expect to meet the Friends that I did or see such a change with me. My original goal was that I wanted to compete and get better at a sport that I new little about and a whole new world was opened up to me and I loved it and embraced it all. I look back and remember running the steps at Red Rocks during my first few weeks and running in the snow. I think that Nicole wins for the most slips this last winter. Can you say snow shoe 10k for fun. I remember making it up High Grade for the first time and thinking "wow I can't believe that I rode for so long and climbed so high" it took me around 2 hours. Next came "City View" "Shadow Mountain" and we finished early spring with a ride from Bergen park to Echo lake, 16 miles straight up hill, and I finished each of those rides and was in amazement at each ride I did. Steve decided to shake things up and in late spring we rode to the highest road in the US. Yes that's right 20+ crazy people rode 30+ miles straight up hill to the top of Mt Evans. I think that we had a GPS show 14,300+ feet. What a day that was, I did something that I thought I would never do. Running started with a long run of 6 miles and I felt that I was maxing out at that distance. A few weeks ago I ran 21 and now I am not sure what to consider long any more. Swimming was the most familiar to me and so I decided that it was time to swim a 5k at Lake Powell and did it cause I could.
The race season was crazy, Sprint, Olympic and to finish the year I did a half Ironman in Boulder and pushed though and finished it with a smile on my face. I really finished every goal that I set up for myself at the start of the season for Triathlon and I am really proud to say I am a Triathlete. I really enjoyed the whole year and am so grateful to my family to allow me the time to do this. I feel strong about being healthy and showing my kids that being fit and setting goals and accomplishing those goals are hard, and worth it.
In may I entered the lottery for the St. George Marathon because I felt that I could finish the race and well I wanted to run a Marathon. At the end of the tri season I started to ramp up my mileage and found that I was pushing my IT Bands a little more than they wanted to be pushed and on my 24 mile run I only ran 21 and stopped because of the pain and did not finish. I have tried over the last few weeks to get the pain to go away and to my disappointment it has not. I decided to cancel the St George Marathon because of it not working with my family's schedule and switched to the Denver Marathon the weekend after. To help get me ready I rested during the week and went to PT and more Ice and rest. I had my last run this morning to see if it was getting better and would be able to run the Marathon and as the title of this post states My First Time I will not follow my original plan. I will not run next week and will have to change my goal to happen on a different date. My fist injury has been hard on me but in a way that is good. Everything in this sport is hard, Getting up when you don't want to, pushing the last part of a tempo run when your body say no. Racing and really pushing the limits longer and harder than you have before. It has been a hard year of which I would never change. And today it is hard to say I need to get better and run some other time. All my friends are racing and I am sad I will not be with them. Their seems to be a lot of first marathoners racing this Marathon Season and to you all I wish you the greatest success. I don't say luck anymore because of what you have done to get to this point. Work got you here not luck so go and kick some Ass and at some point of the race think of me and know that I am thinking of you.
My first year has been filled with more than I could have asked for. My family has allowed me the time to become a Triathlete and for that I am thankful. I look forward to the off season and getting ready for next year. Yep I am going to go after it again, new set of goals, new desires and new days to get faster, stronger, better. And yes to those asking the question I will have a Marathon on my schedule next year. I want to have that victory and I am OK with it taking a little longer to get.

I love you Anne,

Tyler