Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Getting Slower Is Good (Ironman Florida Training)

So I've noticed on some recent training rides that where I used to be one of the fastest guys out there, I can no longer keep up with the elite guys. At first this was a scratch my head WTF moment, but then it hit me. I'm training for an Ironman, not an Olympic distance race. These guys should be faster than me especially on the shorter rides.

It is now less than two months till Ironman Florida; am I ready? No. Will I be ready? Probably not. I haven't swam in what seems like a long time. I'm not running near as much as I should since I'm trying to avoid a nagging shin splint. I'm confident in my biking and the fact that I can and will finish the race no matter what. Looking to put together a long brick this weekend, 100 miles then an hour running. The plan is to experiment with some nutrition strategies. From what I hear that is one of the quickest ways to ruin an Ironman race so I'll be sure to come up with a solid plan.

Another focus of late has been yoga. What can I say it makes me feel great and I imagine it can't hurt my performance. Feeling good about the stretching, core strengthening, and balance I'm getting and look forward to making this a part of my weekly routine.

It is good to keep races on the schedule so there is always something to work towards. With that in mind I've signed up for the St. Jude Memphis Marathon again. I had an absolute blast there last year and turned in a PR. The plan for 2011 is to make it the year of the run so there is plenty of reason to be excited for the upcoming marathon season. That is all for now.