I did it!

Wow.  It's so surreal. I don't even know if I can formulate my thoughts enough to share the experience. But so many of you have been so supportive that I feel as though I'd be cheating you if I didn't share.

I completed my Olympic Distance Triathlon yesterday.  For those of you who don't know, that was a 1500 meter lake swim, 25.5 mile bike ride, and a 6.2 mile run on a 96 degree day.

This is one of those things that ten years ago, I thought only crazy people did. Crazy, athletic people.  Even two years ago, you couldn't have convinced me that I'd do this some day soon.  I was never athletic. And I wasn't that crazy.  I remember when friends in school signed up for a sprint triathlon and invited me to join.  I laughed.  They were obviously delusional if they thought I could EVER do something like that.

But now, I've done it. And I've done more!  And there were a lot of people who helped make that happen.  What amazes me most is that it felt... dare I say... easy?  Just another day. Another workout.  And completely pain-free.  And I'm sitting here dumbfounded wondering how that can be... What did I do to make this such an enjoyable experience?

First of all, I made sure I got adjusted. Running a race without tuning up my nervous system is like riding a bike with flat tires.  You can do it, but it's not going to be fun. 

Second, I got a massage a week before to work out all the kinks that might keep my muscles from functioning properly.  Three weeks before, I also got my troublesome IT band worked on with SASTM, a Graston-like technique that hurts more than you can imagine but was amazingly effective.

I also used Neuroemotional Technique to address the anxieties that I had about the event as well as the emotional components of some of the injuries I developed during training.

But I think the biggest help was hypnosis and visualization!  I was hypnotized the Thursday before the race by Corene Noack, practiced self-hypnosis (a form of meditation) every day from then until the race, and then was hypnotized by her again on race day, and I have never had a smoother, more focused race, or a stronger finish. I sprinted over the finish line and felt like I could keep going. I was so impressed!  I suggest everyone give it a shot!  So thank you to Corene, and all those other fabulous practitioners, friends, and family who made this such an enjoyable event for me. I see more Olympic tris in my future!