For the past three months, I have been swimming, biking and running farther than I ever thought I could. I’m not alone. There are so many people out there going above and beyond what they thought was possible, training for the Ironman 70.3 in Coeur d’Alene this Sunday, June 26.

I think I speak for everyone when I say there are good training days and bad training days. Sometimes you feel like a rock star after a 10-mile run. Other times you can hardly go 4 miles and it’s the worst you’ve ever felt.

I work full-time, so training can be hard. The half Ironman is a long race, longer than any I’ve ever done, so training takes a lot of time, too. After work, depending on how hot it is, I either go for a swim in the lake or go for a run. I've heard some people wake up really early and train before work.

Weekends are when I have time to go for a 50-mile bike ride and then a 10-mile run. Those are my big days and I wish I could have had more of them: I feel pretty unprepared for this race despite my three months of preparation.

A few weeks ago, I had the worst training experience of my life. I decided to sleep in and woke up around 10:30. I knew I needed to go for a really long ride that day. I made some eggs and a bagel and read the newspaper.

Eventually I got off my butt, lathered up on sunscreen and grabbed my bike out of the garage. By the time I started my ride at noon, it was already about 90 degrees outside. I rode over to Highway 95 and headed south. This was my first time attempting the race course.

There was no shade and I was drenched in sweat before I even got onto the highway. I made it over the first hill, gasping and kind of light-headed in the heat. I was downing the water in my camelbak at a rate that would not last me the whole ride.

I started getting cramps and could feel the heat radiating up from the road. I started up the next big hill, which is the really big hill. I found myself going pathetically slow and almost in tears because I was so hot, tired and not feeling good. I kept telling myself, “make it to that next post, now to that mile marker.” Focusing on the next marker usually helps me not focus on how huge a hill is or how long a race is.

That worked until I rounded a corner thinking it was the top and found I wasn’t even halfway there. I was really discouraged and was getting a little dizzy. I decided to turn around and go home.

It was awful. I had failed miserably. I think I actually did cry when I got home. I decided the next day I was going to get up early and really do this thing.

Sunday morning I woke up at 5 a.m. I was the first person out on Highway 95 and the cool morning air felt way better than the harsh 90 degrees from the day before.

I felt good. I got to the really big hill and just trucked up it. I found it almost relaxing to go at a slow, steady pace up the hill. I was also very proud that I never went into my lowest gear.

I went out about 20 miles or so and turned around. I met another rider who had caught up with me. He had a lightning blue shirt and a red beard and was really friendly.

As he passed me up a hill (I am used to this) we chatted about how scary it was to ride so close to the road with cars whizzing by.

When he was way ahead of me, toward the top of the huge hill, I saw him pull over. I yelled “You can do it!”

I’m not sure if he heard me, but he stopped, looked back and saw that I was watching and immediately got back on his bike and kept going.

I love that part of racing. Whether in a race or on a training ride, people encourage others to do their best. When he was passing me, I was very conscious of myself and did everything I could to look strong and keep a good pace. If he hadn’t been there, it would have been pretty easy to let myself stop.

I want to thank all the people around me who are supporting me in my quest to finish this beast of a race. My friends, family and strangers I meet on the road, they’ve all helped me. Please leave comments about race-day tips, eating habits etc. that you’ve found work for you. This is my first half-Ironman and I would love to know what I’m getting myself into.

Bethany Blitz is a reporter for The Press. She can be reached at [email protected].