Time to do it.

The big race is 191 days away.  I am basically now in the early stages of training.  After having written down so much about what I think and how I feel about this challenge, it is now time actually to undertake it.  It's a different feeling.  My focus is shifting toward "do the training."  Do the training and the result will happen.  Wake up early, get it in before the day's demands kick in.  Get in 45 minutes at lunch.  Get in :30 after work, get in an hour on the trainer or in the pool before bed.  With all these windows open, just get it done, preferably first thing.  And do the training every day whether I feel like it or not.  I have been too hit or miss on weekdays, counting on my "long" weekend workouts to get me across the finish line.  That ain't gonna cut it for IM; no way to bluff it across 140.6 miles with mental toughness subbing in for consistent disciplined training.

Also part of my training plan is to minimize stress:  stay organized, manage time, keep life in order on all fronts. 

 

Climbing the ladder - toward the 70.3

The sprint tri on March 17, 2575 Miami (Ft. Lauderdale, really) went well, a pleasant way to get back into racing mode.  Next up was an Olympic tri, Nautica South Beach International Distance.  That race went fine.  Of note, the ocean swim was very choppy this year, unlike the smooth nice swim in the same race last year.  More importantly, I was compelled to change a flat in race conditions, right after the swim.  That was not pleasant.  I had only had to do this twice before, during group rides, but never during a race.  I did get up and riding and finished.  Of course, my time wasn't great, but if you subtract the tire change, it wasn't bad. 

Next up in the future is Haines City, In part it is one of my goal races and in part it is a training exercise for the full in November.  Call it a B+/A- race to IM being the A race.

After that, I will be doing one more Olympic in September as a tuneup and I might add one sprint in the summer, perhaps a Triathlon Trilogy race.  This year is much more about training.  It's a switch from my typical pattern of doing lots of racing and using races as my speed workouts.  It is going to require more discipline this way.

My key discipline focuses for now - weekday consistency, and a clean diet.  I am good with getting long workouts in on the weekends, but I've got to nail down the weekdays much better.  I also want to drop 10-15 pounds before the training gets too intense (and I will be needing to eat lots of calories).

Warming up at the sprint on Ft. Lauderdale Beach - RA!!!! Says it all about my love of the game.