When I was in the fourth grade I learned about the power of adrenaline. There was an urban legend going around my school that a girl was chased on foot along Baseline Ave., (a busy thoroughfare in my “new” hometown, Claremont, CA) and that she escaped her assailant by leaping over a six- and half-foot wall that led to safety. I don’t know if this story is true. I have no idea who that girl was, or even if she was a real person, but the story still hit my lonely nine-year-old head and heart hard, and ignited a life-long pursuit of gaining enough strength to wield the power of adrenaline if/when I ever needed to leap over a wall to safety.
At the top of the famous "Rock Store" climb last Saturday with my teammate, and fellow IMSTG racer, Jess Zaiss.
We are almost at a boil with Ironman St. George training. With less than three weeks out from the race on Saturday, May 7th, my current training load is impressively large and slightly insane.
Many hours later... after pedaling 120 miles, gaining over 8,000ft. of elevation, and before knocking out a three-mile run.
It is times like these when I realize how I choose to live my life has remained clear and steady since listening to that fateful story in 1989, I want to leap over any wall (Ironman St. George) with enough strength and power to not need the aid of adrenaline to push me over to the other side.
Nearly midway through a twenty-two mile run last Sunday circumventing the entire Palos Verdes Peninsula, (my "original" hometown).
So when I experienced last weekend’s workouts as challenging, but not difficult, it was more than just a very cool feeling, but a definite sign that strength is being gained, therefore adrenaline might not be needed after all, to leap over that wall.
Moments after capping off Sunday by running another rolling 4.2 miles later that afternoon (after weaving through LA traffic on tired legs back to my “current” home town, Granada Hills) to make it a “Marathon Day.”
The song and video choice this week was my most repeated song during training last week, and this particular video compilation featuring it could not be more poignant for my current state of deep Ironman prep. Enjoy.:)
P.S. The header photo was shot by Victory Jon Photography, and was provided by Jess Zaiss.