I actually did it. Over the summer I signed up for the 2010 Ironman Coeur D'Alene. With everything else going on I had kind of forgotten about it for a while. Recently I've had to start thinking about it again, with it being only 8.5 months away and all. I've got to come up with a plan to be ready for it on so many levels - physically, mentally, and logistically. I've been researching and pondering what to do over the next 3/4 of a year to make sure I cross the line in less than 17 hours. 17 hours being the cut off for an official Ironman finish.
Perhaps the most important piece of information that I have read has to do with my goal. Often times endurance athletes set a basic goal for themselves - especially on a first attempt at a given challenge - and then as that event gets closer they start changing the goal. It starts out as I just want to finish strong and run my own race, and before you know it you want to qualify for Kona or rip off some fast time. This has even happened to me during a race - you somehow convince yourself to make a last minute goal change, even though you've prepared with a completely different goal in mind. If this happens I usually get outside of my training and limits and the race unfolds in an unfortunate struggle to the finish, where as if I would have stayed patient with what I originally had as my goal I would have ended up a few minutes faster. (case in point = Gulf Coast 2009)
My goal for Ironman Couer D'Alene is to simply just finish it. 12 hours? 14 hours? 16 hours 59 minutes? I'd take any of the above. Maybe if I do a second Ironman we can start talking times, but until I finish the first and experience the distance, I don't plan on tempting fate with a endurance effort of this distance. To be extremely conservative is going to be hard for me. I'm a hammer. Meaning that I like to go as hard as I can until there is nothing left. That may work for a Half Iron, but I'm pretty sure they'll be pulling me off the course on a stretcher if I try to pull that kind of thing in June 27.
2 comments:
Slow? You? This is a real goal! :)
This makes so much sense to me. I always start off scared and humble thinking... "just gotta finish!" Then I'm totally focused on PR'ing, then Boston qualifying last minute... and I haven't even prepped for that goal! AND I end up not even coming close to a PR! Bleh. It's so hard to be patient and conservative when we're so competitive. But I think I need to listen to this idea... keep the same goal no matter what. Decide it early and be honest sticking to it. If it's a certain goal you're after, you have to focus all your training around that goal and it'll happen.
Guess we'll see in Huntsville?!
Good tip!
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