Tips for Future Ironman Prospects
Well, before I begin my highly unqualified "tips", I wanted to announce that my post-endurance event medical condition seems to have set in. I am quite convinced that within a week or two of any completed endurance event my body goes through a serious chemical imbalance/change. I get strangely moody. Not working out for 8 days isn't helping. The good news is that I have no injuries and I will be running tonight.
While I am not quite "depressed" I am certainly more gloomy than usual. I have a marathon on the calendar in two months but my mind is telling me that it won't be happy until I decide on something bigger. I've raised my own bar. I will need something that involves swimming and biking -- two skills I've improved upon. But I will attempt to postpone any IM decision until 1/1/08 to offer my wife time to do some hardcore training before I compete for limited daylight workout time.
ON A MORE FUN NOTE... here are ten tips I've promised for future Ironmen (some can be applied in any triathlon).
1) Pee in your pants on the bike. And on the run if you want. Nobody cares. Having said that you better have water close by to wash with because it is very sticky. Oh, and pee in the last 200 yards of the swim (thanx Margo). Having said all this I admit I used a porta-potty twice on the run (but not at all 3x on the bike). Whimp!
2) Start near the front of the swim. If you are a weaker swimmer just be a little outside of the main line. Starting near the back just gives away time. Who cares if people have to swim around you...or climb over you. They usually go around.
3) Eat. And Eat. And Eat. I never felt really bad the whole day. It is likely because I was prepared and I consumed a lot of calories. My recovery at the finish line was minutes, not hours or days. I ate three enchiladas later that night and felt fantastic.
4) Buy new goggles one week before the event. They will be fog free for sure. And you can get those mirrored ones that make you look cool. $12 is not that much. Skip a lunch out if you have to.
5) Smile a lot. Talk to people. Make friends. It was disappointing when folks wouldn't talk back. Special thanks to my part-time friend Byron who ran and talked with me for 4 miles of the marathon. Great guy with a good story that lasted the entire 4 miles.
6) Be at the finish line (preferrably as a spectator having completed your race) between 11PM and 12AM. The folks that finish at that time get an incredible party for a reception. It is both inspiring and painful knowing that they've been out there that long and they made it. You will either cry or laugh a lot. Or both.
7) Talk to yourself when things get lonely. Especially if you are doing well. Tell yourself you are doing and Ironman and you are hammering. Crazy, yes. But you are doing an Ironman after all. Which is crazier, talking to yourself or 140.6?
8) Swim with long catch up strokes and don't worry about the crowd. Pretend there are only three other swimmers. One in front, one on left, and one on right (thanx Tommy King). Long strokes will ensure that you block as many stray feet as possible.
9) Control and focus only on the current situation. I was lucky that I somehow felt great and had teriffic focus during the event. I rarely thought ahead or behind. I must admit my swim time helped me get excited for bike and my bike time helped me get excited for run. Then my mid-run time pushed me the rest of the way. IMPORTANT - I am not sure if I would have lost focus if my times were below my expectation...to that end, pad your times in your own mind. I had laser etched a 13 hour number in my head beginning two weeks before the event.
10) Enjoy the day, the hour, and the minute. I will never be a first time Ironman again. And for that I am somewhat sad. However, I am very excited for my friends who will be first time Ironmen soon. Some of them are competing this year and some of them I still have to convince they should do IM. Its worth it.
While I am not quite "depressed" I am certainly more gloomy than usual. I have a marathon on the calendar in two months but my mind is telling me that it won't be happy until I decide on something bigger. I've raised my own bar. I will need something that involves swimming and biking -- two skills I've improved upon. But I will attempt to postpone any IM decision until 1/1/08 to offer my wife time to do some hardcore training before I compete for limited daylight workout time.
ON A MORE FUN NOTE... here are ten tips I've promised for future Ironmen (some can be applied in any triathlon).
1) Pee in your pants on the bike. And on the run if you want. Nobody cares. Having said that you better have water close by to wash with because it is very sticky. Oh, and pee in the last 200 yards of the swim (thanx Margo). Having said all this I admit I used a porta-potty twice on the run (but not at all 3x on the bike). Whimp!
2) Start near the front of the swim. If you are a weaker swimmer just be a little outside of the main line. Starting near the back just gives away time. Who cares if people have to swim around you...or climb over you. They usually go around.
3) Eat. And Eat. And Eat. I never felt really bad the whole day. It is likely because I was prepared and I consumed a lot of calories. My recovery at the finish line was minutes, not hours or days. I ate three enchiladas later that night and felt fantastic.
4) Buy new goggles one week before the event. They will be fog free for sure. And you can get those mirrored ones that make you look cool. $12 is not that much. Skip a lunch out if you have to.
5) Smile a lot. Talk to people. Make friends. It was disappointing when folks wouldn't talk back. Special thanks to my part-time friend Byron who ran and talked with me for 4 miles of the marathon. Great guy with a good story that lasted the entire 4 miles.
6) Be at the finish line (preferrably as a spectator having completed your race) between 11PM and 12AM. The folks that finish at that time get an incredible party for a reception. It is both inspiring and painful knowing that they've been out there that long and they made it. You will either cry or laugh a lot. Or both.
7) Talk to yourself when things get lonely. Especially if you are doing well. Tell yourself you are doing and Ironman and you are hammering. Crazy, yes. But you are doing an Ironman after all. Which is crazier, talking to yourself or 140.6?
8) Swim with long catch up strokes and don't worry about the crowd. Pretend there are only three other swimmers. One in front, one on left, and one on right (thanx Tommy King). Long strokes will ensure that you block as many stray feet as possible.
9) Control and focus only on the current situation. I was lucky that I somehow felt great and had teriffic focus during the event. I rarely thought ahead or behind. I must admit my swim time helped me get excited for bike and my bike time helped me get excited for run. Then my mid-run time pushed me the rest of the way. IMPORTANT - I am not sure if I would have lost focus if my times were below my expectation...to that end, pad your times in your own mind. I had laser etched a 13 hour number in my head beginning two weeks before the event.
10) Enjoy the day, the hour, and the minute. I will never be a first time Ironman again. And for that I am somewhat sad. However, I am very excited for my friends who will be first time Ironmen soon. Some of them are competing this year and some of them I still have to convince they should do IM. Its worth it.
posted by Lucky at 2:33 PM
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