Go on, surprise yourself.

I keep coming back to the whole notion of;  rarely does greatness manifest by doing what we feel. It's created by feeling what we feel, then taking action regardless.

If I acted by how I felt, not much would get done. I can confidently tell you that most mornings you would find me sleeping in, being too busy, tired, sore, flat to get off my butt. However, over this last year, I have trained myself to feel these things and get moving regardless. The most amazing thing I have found and have proven time and time again, is that, once I get going (whether it be training/starting a project/ writing this blog post) I become alive. The mind loves to set up these hurdles that want to keep us from starting anything great or small.

It's all about the magic in the action. I have learnt to believe in myself, trusting that taking action will send me leaps and bounds ahead of where/what I have ever thought possible.

Take Saturday just gone for instance. On my program from the coach I had a 5 hour ride. Let me just say that again... I had a 5 HOUR ride. That in a car my friend would take you to, I don't know... Bemm River! (Look it up, it's a gorgeous little costal town on a lake in East Gippsland :) ) This would be, by far, the longest effort on the bike to date. Something that I would never had thought possible 6 months ago!

So the alarm goes off at 5am. I want to fit a 5 hour ride in before one of my best friends, Elle's, birthday lunch at 12pm in Elwood. What a mission! And if anyone was around in Melbourne on Saturday, Gale was out in force! I set out just after 5:30am with 2 water bottles, 5 clif bars, Morg's gloves, 3 layers on top and my squeaky clean, freshly body geometry fitted bike. I can tell you that in the wind and the sideways sprinkle of rain...this is a moment of feeling what I feel and acting regardless.

I did it, 5 hours in the saddle. I rode from Aspendale to Rye return, 120km's and all done solo. I kept the ride easy yet at some points the head wind, cross wind, diagonal wind, rear wind, made it some what difficult. There was one point I was practically leaning hard to my left so I wasn't shoved out of the bike lane onto the rode. The bike handled beautifully and only with a report of a sore butt! the fit that Matt did at Total Rush was perfect.

Body fit at Total Rush - Entire body is measured and lined up.

Matt making such slight adjustments, making such a huge difference!

Video footage was captured of me riding from all difference angles.
So funny to see you're self riding up close! and how out of alignment my knees were at the beginning! 

I was so proud of myself that mentally, I stayed focus for the whole ride. I can't remember a time where I was completely frustrated, pissed off, or wanting to stop and get off as I have done on previous 'long' rides. Not letting myself get to worked up prior and keeping a goal of staying in the T2 (easy) zone, allowed me to keep perspective. What an achievement :) This gives me hope that I am going to stay sane come Ironman day, my goal for the 180km is 6-7hrs!

I'm aiming for greatness. I know everyone's not keen to become an Ironwoman,  however everybody has things in their lives that they want to strive for, where they want to see greatness. How can you feel what your feeling and act regardless? Try it out, you'll surprise yourself.

Maddy Xxx