Kona, amazing news, and inspiring rowing video of the week.

GUYSSS KONA IS THIS WEEKEND! Ironman World Championships. Unfortunately... it won't really be available to watch until Sunday morning and on Sunday morning I will be running my half-marathon (ahhh)...and when I get back to school in the evening I need to (attempt) to make sure I'm ready for a quiz on Monday. So maybe on Tuesday if I have time I can settle down and watch!

Fun fact, I got to wear tights for the first time yesterday

Time for my AMAZING news. Today in class one of my friends came up to me (she is my Running/Swimming Friend) and said that her uncle works for Maytag Whirpool. Normally, this would not necessarily be a fun piece of information BUT the Steelhead Ironman 70.3 just happens to be sponsored by Maytag Whirlpool. My friend knows that I'm looking at doing that 70.3 and she told me that her uncle can get FREE RACE ENTRY for me (and for her additionally because she's now considering doing it!). THIS IS AMAZING. This could save me hundreds of dollars in entries and I can put it towards a pool membership, a wetsuit, and cycling equipment. After doing more research and talking to some experienced triathletes, I have already been surer and surer that I'll do this 70.3 and this great news has pretty much has sealed the deal. I. Can't. Wait.

My swim gear is ready for this.

On another note, I think I'll do an inspiring rowing video every week for a few weeks. Here's our first one. I like this video because I think this mindset can apply to lots of disciplines; rowing, running, swimming, triathlon, pole-vaulting, whatever your "thing" might be. 

When he mentions rowing even though it's cold, icy, and miserable, I thought of a lot of my practices in high school where we rowed in awful conditions. Now I know why that helped so much. Like he says, it's not so much that you have one more practice in - it's the mindset that you gain from it. You were out there in the cold and ice. You braved the storms. You suffered in pursuit of being the best. I think that this is something that is also important in many disciplines. You have to treat yourself like a winner. Treat yourself like you'll be successful. Envision it. Become it.

Pool, dreary weather and BLUE.

Yesterday I spent some time at the pool. I'm officially 1/5 of the way to Turkey! That's pretty good because I've only swam a handful of times and hope to swim almost everyday in November to catch up (when I don't have rowing).

Here's the dive pool, which is warmer (and where I prefer to swim)

Here's the lap pool, which is always FREEZING and where I had to swim yesterday :(

Last night we needed a study break so we went for ice cream! I got Blue Moo Cookie Dough at UDF. It was my first UDF ice cream! I had to get it because it was blue AND cookie dough.

Today we went shopping for decorations for the Formal. It's going to be an awesome event, and I can't wait for the day to be here! We haven't had the best weather all weekend though, and it's dreary, soaking and rainy for the second day in a row. I left my window open last night and it rained horizontally into my room - luckily no valuables were lost in the incident!

The rest of today is just meetings and studying for an exam this week. 

T-minus 7 days until half-marathon number 3! I hope I'm ready!

Friday!

Another week has flown by...I'm always half-way through the semester here! Soon I'll be halfway through undergrad which is frightening!

Not much rowing happened this week, we had both our 6AMs cancelled (today was cancelled due to fog) and so we only got 2 days on the water this week. Next week we'll only get three (though I'll get 2 due to my silly class!). 

Ltwt V-4 at Cuyahoga

Since I'm tapering and my legs felt dead-tired on Wednesday, I've been ellipticizing at the Rec! That's what I did Tuesday, yesterday, and today. Tomorrow I'll do a longer swim. Sunday off. Monday row. Tuesday will be off. Wednesday row. Thursday maybe ellipticize or 2-3 mile easy run. Friday off. Saturday off. Sunday race. (<< Sorry for the impromptu schedule - I felt like I needed to organize my agenda!). 

(part of) The Rec

I'm thinking more and more about that half-Ironman in August... what a crazy ambition, but I think I can do it! This week NYC Running Mama posted a "So You Want to Do An Ironman?" post on her blog and I definitely found it helpful for a half-event as well. I feel so in-the-dark about Ironman triathlons...I feel like they're a completely different ball game. NYC Running Mama wrote about course-selection, training, time-committment, and nutrition, but her most important tip was having faith that you could complete the event.  

...and just because, let's end with a beautiful unedited Oxford sunset :)