With two weeks left to go, there is no more major work to be done. Nothing can be gained in the time remaining, only lost. And I must say that I am ecstatic about the way that I have made it through. I have had illness and stress fractures on far less intensity and volume and this time, things have gone relatively well.
After the 5K and the Argus, I had a down week, and then the final push. Within a period of 6 days I had to do my longest training in each event. It started with a marathon on a very hilly course. I needed to keep things in check so I did lap 1 in 1:38 and felt fine. The first half of each loop had long uphills but the second half had blistering downhills, turning legs into hamburger. When I hit the last 10K, I started to let gravity take over and shaved 6 ½ minutes off the pace in the final kilometers. I crossed in 3:14:59 and felt pretty good. It was my 3rd straight marathon with an even or negative split, showing I am in complete control of my running.
Two days later I hit the pool for an over distance swim - 4K of flipping and swimming; 160 lengths in that empty pool. It was mind-numbingly boring but I made it, and my time of 1:13:55 equates to around a 1:10 Ironman swim. But this was in a pool with turning every 25m (which is slow). When I have the energy of race morning, a wetsuit for buoyancy, and being able to draft off people, I expect that I can go faster.
A few more workouts and Saturday morning came, bringing with it a century bike ride. I began with 20 miles on the trainer – a feat that would normally kill me but with 100 miles to do, it didn’t seem that bad. It had rained all night so when I joined the club for the standard 50 mile jaunt into the hills, the roads were wet and a wind kicked up, leaving my toes and hands frosty most of the way. The group I joined was fast and we 6 soon broke from the pack. At about 38 miles I stopped to pee and spent the next 20 minutes hammering to reconnect with them. It was the hardest I have ever ridden, but I caught up, and when I did, sat on the last-placed wheel. The top three took off again but we didn’t chase and I cruised in with group 2 and onward home, having completed 71 miles. My buddy, Chris, joined me for the last 29 miles. He rides once per year so his support was moral, not physical, but the sun came out and it turned into a nice day. I lead him the whole way, stopping on the top of hills to wait and chatting with him on the flats. When the final tick of the computer said 100 miles, I knew that I had one of the best biking days ever. The pace wasn’t as fast as my race needs to be, but this was about completing the work, not about time. Yet it was still a solid sub 6 hour effort.
So by completing my longest sessions in each of the three events within 6 days, I proved to myself that I am ready for Ironman. But doubt still remains – Will I swim efficiently enough? Will I crash or flat out on the bike? Will I cramp? What if my run goes to hell? What if it is rough or windy? A lot of that I can’t control. I know that I don’t put in the miles on the bike or run that I need to in order to be a star, but I am doing what I can and hoping for the best. The letters you remove from the word “Impossible” to make it “possible” are IM – IronMan.
Overall: I have trained since August 1 specifically for this event. I have done numerous races but all geared toward the Ironman. My 4 marathons since November will help, as will the 40 I have completed. When I need to draw on experience to make it through, it will be there. I have done 4 triathlons this season and the rhythm is there. My bike races have helped me not just survive the time on the bike, but pace myself as well. I have recovered from each race and workout well, never needing extended rest. I have been in the hospital several times for crashes, had food poisoning, an allergic reaction, stomach issues, and twice for eye surgery, yet I keep on keeping on.
The Swim: I have focused greatly on the swim this year. My workouts, though possibly shorter in duration than before, are all about speed. I have made targeted improvements in my form; specifically my hand position in the water, my roll, and my catch and release. I should be a stronger, faster swimmer, but the improved efficiency will be the best benefit to my overall race, leaving my primed for the bike and run, not choking on salt water with an upset stomach. My best workout was a 30x50m where I did them all in under 50 seconds, the last few in under 45, and one of them in 38 seconds. I did a 4K straight.
The Bike: Compared to most, my mileage is probably pretty low. But I have gotten out most weekends for a 50 mile or more effort, and done some longer races. Last IM, I hated the bike and just survived in the race. Not that I love it now, but I am better able to get through the rides without the energy depletion and loss of concentration.
The Run: I have gone from an overzealous kid to a veteran. When I first started this crazy sport, I had run only 4 marathons, and most of those disasters. Now I have run 40, winning 3 of them, placing 2nd in another, and owning the pace I choose to run in most everyone of the last 10. I did a 3:05 on 19 miles per week. But my best was a hilly marathon where I nearly jogged a 3:15. Throw on my ultras and I know what it is like to run. If I can come off of the bike/swim in a good time with my reserves intact, I will run well enough to have a good day.
“I find I am so excited I can barely sit still or hold a thought in my head. I think it’s the excitement only a free man can feel, a free man at the start of a long journey who conclusion is uncertain.”
-Red (Morgan Freeman); The Shawshank Redemption
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