"Gotta Get Goin'"

Just over 9 months left to D-day and really only 8 since serious training has to slow down at least a month prior to. I can’t believe this is my 71st post! I need to get organized. Unlike most things I try to do in life, my training really has nothing approaching a formal plan. The problem is that Ironman training is hardly an exact science and the more I search for information the more it gets muddy. There is lots of stuff out there but most of it is so complex and even contradictory that I just get turned off. Compare it to basic marathon training for example, of which you will find all kinds of simple, easy to follow, and very specific training plans. I remember when I used to think that deciding to run a marathon was a big commitment. When I start trying to face the idea of formalizing my plans it gets a bit overwhelming. Beyond just putting in miles in all 3 disciplines I have to consider diet, stretching and flexibility, strength training, hill work, speed work, technique improvement , equipment, mental preparation and to top it all off something I’m not very good at, and recognize as a significant liability….sleep! That also brings up another frustration I have with most of the training advice available. It generally assumes that you start your day feeling refreshed at about 5 am and that you have no other life beyond your training….no fences, and no grandchildren! One last element I need to think about , and that I have procrastinated so far is nourishment on race day, I need to consider it soon as I need to practice this during my training such that I know how much I need and what I can tolerate. Again, the problem is that most advice assumes you can eat peanut butter cookies, sports bars and everything in between if you so choose.

But, I suppose if it were easy I would have done it a long time ago, and there’s no backing out now. Or at least there won’t be come next Tuesday when Janine will tell a few hundred thousand people that I intend on doing this. Here's the evidence of her intentions. Just hit play. Apparently this thing is gonna run several times bewteen now and next tuesday.




Janine sent me this during the day today while I was travelling and as a result didn't see it until I got home at about 5 oclock. I don't know if it had anything to do with it but I then went for a run and absolutely smoked the block! Thirty two minutes, and eighteen seconds ,which is 3 minutes faster than my previous best effort. I was worrying my watch had stopped.


Anyway....back to planning.... I’m going to commit over the next week to developing at least a general timetable with some kind of guidelines as to what and how much I want to do each week, as well as try to identify some milestones along the way. The next 4 months will be critical, as they will be the toughest from both a practical(weather) perspective as well as from a motivational perspective(weather again, short days, time til race day etc). If I can come out of March with both my running and swimming in my back pocket so to speak, then the following 4 months I can focus on really pushing my biking while maintaining the other 2 disciplines. I think I also need to start an actual training log so that I don’t have to try to look back at my blog all the time to figure out what I did when.

That’s about it for today. The planes about to land.

I wish to dedicate day 71 to my friend Eduardo who I work with in Mexico who is much more disciplined than me. If I was as tough on myself as he is, I would be ready for Ironman already.

And on planning, and dreams, and public statements I give you this.....

"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut"---Ernest Hemingway

"Plan more than you can do, then do it.
Bite off more than you can chew, then chew it.
Hitch your wagon to a star,
Keep your seat, and there you are"---Unknown

"Each man should frame life so that at some future hour fact and his dreaming meet"---Victor Hugo

Love
peter