Well looking back it has
certainly been some time since I last updated the blog…4 months to be specific.
I have still been reading other blogs and motivation has been on a
rollercoaster ride but the ability/desire to string a few words of my own
together has ebbed and flowed…while I am certain that my family would disagree,
I am not actually one for saying/typing something for the sake of it…honest! That
said I now actually have something exciting to say….
November 4th 2017 I
will be toeing the line at Ironman Florida!! 12 days after my 40th
birthday I intend to compete and complete my second full distance Ironman
event. This has actually been on the cards for a little while but I have been
waiting to secure my spot before getting too liberal with the info. Given that
we, as a family, now know the training commitment required I firstly consulted
with my wife and gained her approval before signing up. I will confess that the
deal was most probably sweetened by my offer of a US holiday and trip to
Disneyland post-race…
So what’s the plan given it
is 359 days away….
I currently have the inaugural
Ironman Western Australia 70.3 rapidly approaching on December 4th.
It will be fun as it is the first time this event is being held and is actually
truly half of the full Ironman course I completed last December. We even start
at the end of the Busselton jetty, 2km out to sea….
After that….well I intend to
rebuild and build. It is my intention to switch my focus to technique and form.
I will work on my base fitness and build an all-round level that will sustain
me through my next race. I actually have no 100% confirmed races after that…I
have a few that I am thinking about, that will be good to use as a gauge of
progress but nothing yet locked in. Overall there is some work to be done
first:
SWIMMING:
Regularity in turning up and training will be
important here. I know my technique can be improved and thereby improve my efficiency
in the water. It is a small component of the overall race but has the potential
to really set the day up right! I strongly believe that I can get a 1 hr swim
in with some dedication. Florida is an interesting change as it is a two lap
swim (with little beach run in the middle) and has the potential for some
generous breakers on entry. This means I will need to work on my OWS entry too.
CYCLE:
Much like Busselton the course promises to by flat
and fast. The highest point on the course is 49mtrs above sea level…the total
elevation gain (per some Strava rides that I have stalked) is 21m TOTAL! On
this basis I will work on my strength in the hills around Perth and will build
up that way. I will then get a refit on my TT bike and concentrate on areo and
tempo pace along my all-time favourite freeway bike path. This is good as it
promises to have similar undulations and wind as the Florida course. But first,
I head to the hills to go faster so I will start working on my bike strength over
the coming months. At Busso last year I felt good and actually backed off my
ride in the second half for fear of blowing up…I completed the first lap in
2:49 and the second in 3:07 for an overall 5:58. I am confident that I can get
closer to 5:30 on my ride with an adequate base and areo conditioning.
RUN:
Ah the run…my Achilles heel (excuse the pun). This is
where the most improvement is to come from. Most notably my endurance. I am not
sure what to really comment here. I am going to have to work hard to gain my
endurance ability here. I think this is where the most mindful rebuild of
myself will be coming from. I intend to work strength and intervals as well as
on my longer slower runs. I will pick a reasonable race pace to work on and
build from there…pacing will be key (something I am a little lousy at!). Over
the course of the next 12 months I plan on taking on the City 2 Surf Marathon
(this past winter I pulled out following on from the great Hamstring incident
at the start of the off season). The marathon is at the end of August which
should allow me ample time to maintain my running through the early portion of
the tri season and into Florida!
STRENGTH/CORE/BODY (aka everything else):
Diet is a corner stone of this game too…I know what I
need to do, now I just need to get on a do it…I have started some baby (really
really baby) steps at the moment and aim to start ramping up the progress and
clean-up in the space over the few weeks till the end of the year…then I feel I
will be at a stable starting point to move into 2017 from there.
I have been looking into some
core work and body weight exercises to throw in to the schedule. I will need to
work on my core as I know this is a flabby wreck at the moment…
All of this looks pretty
auspicious but it is important to remember that this is a little under 12
months away and I plan on tackling these endeavours individually. Yes, I will
be training the three disciplines but with a bias towards one at a particular
time. That and my family and work life balance needs to remain in tact…have to
pay for the holiday and have people to take with me too….
So, hold on to your hats as I
plan on resurrecting the bloggy blog and tracking (and expanding on the above on) this little jaunt over the next
12 months…
Thanks for reading
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