My Personal Sherpa

When I was thinking of signing up for IM, I talked it over with a good friend before I ever even mentioned it to my boyfriend because I needed an honest opinion (not so much the physical toll, which I knew would be brutal, but the mental toll).  She told me that her second time training was more difficult as she was single during that go-round.  She reminded me that after a long day of training, the last thing you want to do is unpack your car, rinse your clothes, take care of your bike, and feed yourself.  That comment really resonated with me at how difficult something like this is to do by yourself.  I have a hard enough time taking care of myself as it is with balancing three clients and spending half the month in a hotel.  How was I going to incorporate formal training in to that equation and not be an even bigger basketcase?  I thought about Nick who trained for his first IM on his own, trained for his second with my support, and if I decided to sign up, he would now be training for his third with me in tow.  I wasn't sure if I wanted to do that to him.  We talked about it and discussed that he would be dealing with a cranky, emotional, forgetful girl that was probably going to cry all the time.  But, it didn't seem to phase him.  He was on board with taking care of himself and having to take care of me!    


I hope he understands how much I appreciate him.  I always tell him how much time and stress he saves me.  He figures out where we are going and drives to all the workouts (he says he would have to drive there himself anyway), he gets my bike on and off the car (because I can't reach), he cleans my bike for me, he takes it in for maintenance, he sets up my trainer to save me time, he digs at my IT band (ouch!), he waits for me at the top of the hill, he reminds me not to forget my helmet or my gloves or whatever else I forgot that day, and he hugs me when I'm upset.  I know sometimes it is hard for him because he doesn't really know what to do or what to say when I'm frustrated with having to miss a workout or because I'm just not in my "zone" that training day.  So I just tell him that he needs to remind me that it will all be ok.  And he does.  

At the finish line of Ironman Canada