Embrace Setbacks.

Adversity has the effect of eliciting talents, which in prosperous circumstances would have lain dormant. - Horace

Setbacks are part of life, and many athletes, including myself, face detrimental setbacks that can negatively impact performance, psyche, and overall character....?if you let them.?Whether injury related or a setback in an event, these setbacks delay progress. And training has taught me to deal with setbacks positively, including injuries and postponed races.?

With IRONMAN delayed and time now on my side, I am actively training for a?sub-13-hour IRONMAN?while reflecting on what is going well in training and where I can improve while simultaneously training to?qualify for the Boston Marathon.?

To those who donated and supported me, thank you, I appreciate it. The IRONMAN Foundation has graciously allowed me to defer my entry until finances get more stable, and the funds I have raised will also transfer with that entry. The first race opportunity I get, I am racing! Training continues, as will my weekly and monthly training updates until I cross that finish line!?

And while I cannot wait to cross that red carpet, I have fallen hard for the daily grind of training while fully embracing the journey.?

When I selected IRONMAN California, I picked this race because it was the most "beginner" friendly IRONMAN course I could find. Now I have the confidence to go for other races, such as Florida, which I was afraid to sign up for because of the ocean swim - I read this book by some triathletes that scared me out of Florida, and I would love to race in Arizona (I love the desert!!). I am not supposed to be in California for my first IRONMAN. Nor was I supposed to be in Augusta this year for the 70.3. Days before that race, I took a nasty fall running with open wounds that took two weeks to heal. I have been running for years and have never fallen before. I am a spiritual person and trust when I am redirected, as I am right now.?

I am using this delay as an opportunity to fine-tune my tapering strategy and nutrition strategy. For IRONMAN California, I gave myself a one-week taper. While I would have finished the race, I wouldn't have been as fresh as I needed to be to offload my training fatigue to race my best.?

Lots of professional coaches tell you to taper for at least two weeks. These coaches are 100% accurate. I had to learn this for myself. When I finally race, I will follow a 14-day taper plan; 140.6 miles broken down into a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile ride, and 26.2-mile run is a long time to be out there! And I am not interested in checking a box to say I completed a 140.6. I want to do the best I am capable of and get better from there! Now is the time to fine-tune what is going well and make necessary adjustments.

The delay has not dampened my spirit; I am more committed than ever to being the best athlete I can be.?

2022 Stats

Race or no race, I am thrilled with what I have accomplished in 2022 despite the extreme adversity I have been put through now going on years. With two months to go in 2022, I have trained 928 hours while covering 8,626 miles broken down into 6,444 cycling miles, 1,485 running miles, 273,981 yards of swimming, and 500+ recovery miles with my pup!?

And more positive news - My broken elbow is finally straightening out,?and I can now balance on my bike with full pressure on it!! I refused to have plates put into my elbow and am not a fan of PT. Instead, I turned to swimming to rehab my elbow mobility.

The Journey

I think back to where I started in 2020. I was running about 1,300 miles a year and just learning how to cycle and swim, weighing in at 148lbs. Fast-forward to today, and I have cycled 14,189 miles, swam 696,594 yards, and ran 1,901 miles in 2021.

In 2022, I have run 1,485 miles with 2+ months to go! I can now swim 2.4 miles straight in 1h25m. I can cycle 100 miles straight and run 17 miles at a pace of 8:41. I just ran 10 miles at a 7:59 pace. Last week I ran my fastest half-marathon at a pace of 1h50m02s.?

Thanks to my overhauled diet and being alcohol-free since June 2020, I recover at a wicked-fast recovery rate; my last day off of training was December 7, 2020. And this is despite broken elbows, car accidents, moving three times, being jobless, isolated, broke, having bad hair (someone cut off my hair while sleeping), and being divorced. And let's not forget, someone is also having fun trying to age me. Thankfully, I have a great sense of humor.? And candidly, without the adversity, not sure if I would be training this hard. I would have been too comfortable. Being comfortable is why many of us, myself included, fail to reach our potential. I now fully embrace and believe that adversity uncovers one's true potential.

I have also kept nearly 40lbs off, going on 4+ years through a whole foods-based diet.?Since 2020 I have heard comments such as "Let's see if you can stay consistent," or earlier this year at the bank, an older woman commented, "Let's see if you can stay in shape." And at Emory St. Joseph, where I got treated for my broken elbow, several nurses commented that that is "why they don't run and don't I train for IRONMAN? All that wasted effort."?Let's be clear, training is never wasted.?The nurses were shocked when I walked out of the hospital hours after arriving, able to get dressed without their help with one arm in a straight splint. I didn't need to stay overnight, nor did I need their help. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself.

I think fondly of running with that 2lb straight splint for 8 weeks because it transformed my running, the break necessary to qualify for Boston.?And most important of all, I am grateful for the confidence that training has instilled in me.?

There are no shortcuts to achieving the athleticism I have reached. It has taken me thousands of hours of relentless training to get here. I am not quitting now.?At age 44, with a V02 Max of 58, I am only beginning to tap into my potential. And not one single person can say I had it easy.

I look forward to continuing to debunk myths about aging. The harsh truth is our metabolism doesn't change as drastically as we were once led to believe. Many of us gain weight as we age because we are less active and consume too many calories.

Finally, while October is recognized as?Depression and Mental Health Awareness and Screening Month,?there is not enough focus on?brain health?for optimal mental health, in which diet and exercise are the foundation. The mental health crisis is here to stay until the conversation shifts to lifestyle changes for optimal brain health. What's even more mind-blowing is we have so-called mental health specialists with zero training in nutrition or exercise prescribing mind-altering drugs.

Training Summary, October 17 to October 23

Swimming 13,123 yards | 4h6m

The pool heater has been out all month and will be closed next week to fix it, so I have made the most of swimming this week with 13,123 yards. I focused on daily 1.2-mile swims primarily for elbow rehab while building shoulder strength.

With the pool closed next week, I will focus on weight training. October has been my highest volume of swimming ever, with?47,217 yards!?

Cycling 158.4 miles | 7h50m

Long ride of the week was?75 miles @ a pace of 20.5?and an elevation gain of 2,182 feet. Next week will be a heavy cycling week.

Running 32.3 miles | 4h38m

Long run of the week was?15 miles @ a pace of 8:40.?I have to be under 8:47 splits to qualify for Boston. Next week I will be focused on shorter, frequent runs to mix up training.

Fastest run of the week: 8 miles @ a pace of 8:10 with a heart rate of 128.

From a nutrition standpoint, I finally nailed my nutrition plan. Zero gut issues now since migrating to Maurten about 2+ weeks ago.

Happy Sunday!

Ilana