Vineman training

I am ridiculously behind in the blog. I could of shared so many triumphant & challenging & FUNNY stories about this training season. Now I am just 8 days away from the race. Hahaha started this blog & got this far & now I'm 4 days from the race!
Now is when my nerves are crazy! My mind is constantly on the race. After Lavaman season I have gone into my races so confident. I have felt over prepared. I have been cool & breezy. The pre race butterflies a thing of the past...until NOW.
The last few days all I can think about is the distance I have to cover! After a 1.2mile swim I have to bike 56 miles (which I've never done) the post that run 13.1 miles!!!
The longest training I did with the team was a 1 mile ocean swim a challenging 54 mile bike then a slow walk/jog of 4 miles or so. It was about 60 miles total.
All the training have been challenging & I know this is on purpose to have us ready to race. Most the time I tapped out shy of the furthest distance & cut the runs short because I literally did all I could do.
I definitely threw a wrench in my training season when I opted to go into acupuncture for my GI issues & get treated during training. Well even before that! I have been seeing MY dr for over a year or two regarding my guts & fatigue. Finally this year I declared I would once & for all fix my guts. I went through tons of lab tests, referral to GI dr, colonoscopy, intestinal biopsy...only to hear nothing is wrong with you :(
The week I had the GI tests was when I bonked during training. Finally I asked for a referral to acupuncture I've seen claims it can cure anything! & I'm at the I know something is wrong with me & I will try anything stage.
SO I went in & she says "something is wrong with you"
THANK GOD!!!!!!!!!
She said I could do acupuncture to help with the symptoms but really she would like to take me thru an elimination diet & find the culprit. Also use supplements to repair my gut.
This would take place my last month of training meaning I have to scrap the old race plan using processed chemical filled endurance products & only use whole foods (from my very short approved list).
I thought about waiting until after the race but also thought what if I could feel so much better before my race?
I know myself well & putting it off would mean its not gonna happen. It was not or never.
The training plan became salt tabs & water for hydration & applesauce packets, mashed sweet potatoe & mashed avocado in ziplocs that I can suck through a whole in the bag, fruit. It's a lot of crap to carry on the ride. The first ride I had to do this was the long swim bike run = 60. Coach Trent was doing sweeper so he was waiting for me. He really helped make sure I was eating enough & not to much.
I've noticed the whole foods kinda weigh me down & make me feel sluggish on the run (or it could be the long tough bike before my runs?).
I'm feeling good now that I'm on day 29 of 30 on the repair portion. My fatigue is gone 100% it's an amazing feeling to have my life back. Does that sound dramatic? Well when you can't stay awake to live your life it feels like a trap. It was getting worse & worse & I was in bed more & more :( everyone said I trained to hard I knew that wasn't it. Everyone said I needed more sleep I knew I slept good & solid plus a nap....I'm so glad I found out for myself & got help. I can totally get through my day without feeling fatigue & I feel awake & alive.
That does give me some confidence going into my race feeling better. The sluggishness I use to have training is gone. I'm still SLOW!!! I MEAN REALLY SLOW! But I'm awake!
So then the dilemma was tomorrow is day 30. I can start adding foods back in that I was off one at a time to find potential allergies. Sadly everyone says wait until after the race. I had hoped & planned to return to my pre diet race plan using gu & bonk breaker bars. Everyone agrees its a risk to reintroduce anything before the race even if I tolerated it before. Since its been eliminated it could cause potential shock or reaction to my system....ooooooo-k she says arms crossed & pouting.
I'm leaving tomorrow morning to drive up. No doubt in my mind I will finish just scared of the process it will take to get me there. A test of
endurance, a test of faith, a testimony to how far I will go to fight in honor of my brother. He suffered too much & lost too much & my parents are so broken. I must focus on the true reason I'm doing this & allow my angel to carry me through.