Wednesday, January 11, 2006

What This Is All About

One forty point six is the number of miles in an Ironman triathlon. It is a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike, and a 26.2 mile run. In that order, in one day, as fast as possible.

I am training for Ironman Wisconsin, September 10, 2006 and this is my training journal. I have been running for seven years, doing triathlons for two years, have done three marathons, a half ironman triathlon, and many shorter distance races. Before I started running, I had never exercised in my whole life. I ate poorly, was overweight, was unhappy in my body, and was dreadfully out of shape. I have completely transformed myself and my body through running and triathlons. I love getting outside to workout, and feeling strong. Confidence in what my body can do transfers to other parts of my life in ways that I didn't realize it would. The Ironman is as much a mental challenge as it is a physical one.

This will be my first Ironman. When I first watched an Ironman four years ago, it seemed like a crazy thing to do. I couldn't imagine being able to go that far in one day. At that point, I couldn't even imagine doing the swim bike or run distance alone in one day. It was inspiring to see that not only professional athletes, but also "normal" people were doing it. It made me think about what I could do, but I never thought it would be in the realm of possibility for me. As I look back on the past seven years, everything I have done has been leading up to this. I have consistently and gradually increased the distances that I am able to race. I started with the goal of being able to run one mile without walking, then progressed to do a 10K race, then did a half marathon the next year, and a full marathon the following year. Then I started doing sprint distance triathlons, then a half ironman the following year, and here I am this year looking the Ironman in the eye. I think if I can do an Ironman, I can probably do pretty much anything I set my mind to.

I am very determined, disciplined, and consistent. Other than some help with my swim technique, I have not had any help with my training. I put together my own training plans after reading everything I can get my hands on, and carefully studying my progress as I record my workouts. I know I will get myself to the Ironman finish line. I am hoping to do it in under 13 hours.

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