clarity? perhaps......

it's been an odd couple of weeks with some interesting thoughts.....

i was riding 60 miles this past saturday with my original mentor and we pushed each other throughout the entire ride and had an amazing time. our pace was strong, our cadence good, and overall our time was surprisingly fast. and it hit me during this ride that i FINALLY remember why this is fun! i also realized that 112 miles isn't really going to be insurmountable and i could see myself on race day in new zealand and was smiling at this thought. now, my legs and lungs would argue this story with about 10 miles left on our ride! i think that having these thoughts/realizations though is a milestone in my return. i feel stronger than i have in a very long time and though the hills are more of a challenge then they've been in the past, the distance is still there......and the stubbornness that only a Banister could display at moments such as these!

a similar thought occurred to me on sunday when i ran 90 minutes in the encinitas area. for the first time in longer than i could recall, the run was actually fun! now, it turns out that i didn't have as strong of a workout as saturday but i didn't know it when i was out on the road. it was just me, thoughts of 26.2 miles, and my shuffle. my stride felt good and strong. i didn't feel terrible (which has marked my last handful of runs) and my knees didn't ache....much. the sunshining down on me was just enough to make it the perfect day for a long run. and i found that i actually enjoyed at least the first 75 minutes and could see that translating into my marathon. i could actually picture myself on race day with that pace (though knowing the results of that day, i know it'll be faster on race day) and that comfortable feeling of just the right stride.

moments like these are what compell me to push to what my coach knows i can do and what i'm realizing that my body will do when i tell it to. and days like i've had in the past few weeks are my way of telling myself that i WILL be an Ironman......there is no doubt left.

that's not to say that i may not be singing a different tune this coming saturday after 80 miles but let's keep our minds occupied with more positive thoughts! Vineman here i come!!!!

~danban