Preparation:
The previous year - I started doing marathons in 2005 because I intended to someday do an iron distance triathlon. How I ended up at this iron event, on this day, took a bit of slight of hand.
One friend called another and said, “Everyone one is doing it. We have to. This is our last best chance.” Little did anyone know that the everyone that was doing it was also being told that everyone was doing it. My friend Jonathan said as much to me on the beach at Coney Island. Everyone was on board. It was a done deal.
We would have to go to Lake Placid to sign up. This was to guarantee entry. The week before I had my first and only ‘did not finish’. It was at a half iron distance. My stomach shut down. Two weeks before that my wife and I had had a strained conversation about the demands of training on our social life and marital bliss. For me, this was not quite done deal.
I went to Lake Placid anyway. Ironman weekend in Lake Placid is not a place to go ‘undecided’. There is no chance you make it out of town with your money or your life. By Monday morning it finally was a done deal for me. I would start having anxiety dreams two weeks later.
My official training plan started on December 28th, 2009. At the peak I put about 22 - 25 hrs a week into training. On big days I burned about 9,000 calories. My resting caloric burn rate came to about 2,700 a day. This is how many calories I would burn if I did nothing at all.
There were a few highlights of the preparation period. Strangely, many of the same incidents also sound a bit like lowlights.
There was the iron time trial in New Paltz, New York. This was four loops of a 28 mile course. You had to summit the Mohonk mountians to complete a loop. Twice. After the second loop I crashed my bike twice from fatigue and hunger. The worst of it is you pass by your car, which would gladly take you home or to a cheeseburger. I did not stop.
There was the 1.5+ mile San Francisco Bay swim. The water was 57 degrees. I wore no wet suit. I wore no wet suit. Children may not be in my future. I did not stop.
There was 18.5 miles at race pace (slow) in 95 degrees and 115% humidity (slight, but not unbelievable, exaggeration). This was done the day after I did my longest bike ride of 120 miles. I did not stop.
But mostly, when I think back on the training and the prep, it wasn’t so much a singular big day that proved my mettle. It was linking a lot of smaller events. Being consistent. Getting up, getting the rides in. Watching the food in take. Getting enough sleep so my body didn’t fail. Ignoring the please for social calls, and getting everything done so I didn’t get sick, or injured
By race day I felt fully prepared, even if I still didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t have a single anxiety dream (nightmare) in the final weeks. Done deal, indeed.
The previous year - I started doing marathons in 2005 because I intended to someday do an iron distance triathlon. How I ended up at this iron event, on this day, took a bit of slight of hand.
One friend called another and said, “Everyone one is doing it. We have to. This is our last best chance.” Little did anyone know that the everyone that was doing it was also being told that everyone was doing it. My friend Jonathan said as much to me on the beach at Coney Island. Everyone was on board. It was a done deal.
We would have to go to Lake Placid to sign up. This was to guarantee entry. The week before I had my first and only ‘did not finish’. It was at a half iron distance. My stomach shut down. Two weeks before that my wife and I had had a strained conversation about the demands of training on our social life and marital bliss. For me, this was not quite done deal.
I went to Lake Placid anyway. Ironman weekend in Lake Placid is not a place to go ‘undecided’. There is no chance you make it out of town with your money or your life. By Monday morning it finally was a done deal for me. I would start having anxiety dreams two weeks later.
My official training plan started on December 28th, 2009. At the peak I put about 22 - 25 hrs a week into training. On big days I burned about 9,000 calories. My resting caloric burn rate came to about 2,700 a day. This is how many calories I would burn if I did nothing at all.
There were a few highlights of the preparation period. Strangely, many of the same incidents also sound a bit like lowlights.
There was the iron time trial in New Paltz, New York. This was four loops of a 28 mile course. You had to summit the Mohonk mountians to complete a loop. Twice. After the second loop I crashed my bike twice from fatigue and hunger. The worst of it is you pass by your car, which would gladly take you home or to a cheeseburger. I did not stop.
There was the 1.5+ mile San Francisco Bay swim. The water was 57 degrees. I wore no wet suit. I wore no wet suit. Children may not be in my future. I did not stop.
There was 18.5 miles at race pace (slow) in 95 degrees and 115% humidity (slight, but not unbelievable, exaggeration). This was done the day after I did my longest bike ride of 120 miles. I did not stop.
But mostly, when I think back on the training and the prep, it wasn’t so much a singular big day that proved my mettle. It was linking a lot of smaller events. Being consistent. Getting up, getting the rides in. Watching the food in take. Getting enough sleep so my body didn’t fail. Ignoring the please for social calls, and getting everything done so I didn’t get sick, or injured
By race day I felt fully prepared, even if I still didn’t know what to expect. I didn’t have a single anxiety dream (nightmare) in the final weeks. Done deal, indeed.
I'm so glad you didn't wear a wetsuit. I don't think I would have made it in the water that AM if you had. You were so methodical.. I wish I'd have had one third of your persistence!
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to our next shared athletic session! Congrats...
Vineman next year?
It's funny how we all go through the EXACT same thing and yet it's different for everyone. Maybe I can convince you to train with me for MY IMLP adventure next year :).
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