Walkin' the Walk

I've often told friends and family that I love training for races so much that I could do it full time as a Professional Triathlete. So when 5x Ironman Champion, Heather Gollnick, strolled into town I thought I would take advantage of the opportunity.

Long story short:

• Wednesday: I got ridden into the ground. Thankfully, my bike decided to die before I did so I took advantage of the 15 minute reprieve while Bluegrass Bikes in Crestwood got me up and running again (Thanks Bob, you guys are great!).
• Thursday: Showed up for a track workout half delirious, followed by an open water swim in which Heather candidly swam laps around me.
• Friday: Easy 2 hour recovery ride (hallelujah!!)
• Saturday: Hard 56 mile ride followed by a 7 mile run (which turned into a 10 mile run after Heather decided she was feeling spunky.... which was, by the way, a 20 mile run for Heather).
• Sunday: Topped off the week with a nice, long open water swim.

Even though I got in some of the best/hardest workouts of my LIFE, I learned so much more than I ever expected. Heather is 100lbs. of animal (not to mention her roles as mother of three, wife, and CEO)! She's a die hard competitor, but she's also one of the most encouraging and inspiring women I've come across in the sport. She lives and trains by very high standards and encourages others to do the same.

Heather put triathlon and training into perspective for me and encouraged me to chase my dreams. I love this sport, the people in it, and I now have a new found respect for those who call it a career. Just a small taste of what it's like to walk the walk!

Thanks for putting up with me! Off for a long run ;-)