Time to Get Down to Business

So it has been a month already since I signed up for Ironman Wisconsin 2010. I have fully enjoyed this month off from strict training and doing what I want when I want, eating what I want, and drinking what I want. I have been able to catch up with friends, see alot of my family, and of course rest my body. In this time I have started to think about the upcoming year and how I want to approach training, what my goals are going to be, etc. This is what I have come up with.

While I am a firm believer that you are constantly in training for Ironman no matter how far out you are, once you sign that paper at registration you are in training. I plan to do a 24 week specific training schedule that will start on March 28th, and culminate at race day next September. But I have sooo much to do before I get to March 28th believe it or not. Everyone's view of the offseason is different, and for me it is all about working on my weaknesses and preparing for the upcoming year. With that said I have divided my offseason into 3 segments. The first will start on Monday and I will begin an 8 week speed intensive training program. The idea here is to increase my swim pace and run pace with high intensity low volume workouts. While I want to overall increase my pace in both disciplines I want to also, and more importantly. improve my form and hope that in turns increases my pace. This program will lead me into the begining of December. After I will take a week off and enjoy myself with my friends on the mountains in Colorado carving up some fresh powder. The second session of my offseason will focus on the weight room and gaining some strength for next year. I will still swim, bike, run but it will ramp down severaly probably only doing each discipline once a week. Once the snow starts to melt I will start to put on some base miles and prepare myself for the season ahead. I am still putting all these plans together and preparing myself but I am very excited to start up again and already cannot wait for my next workout!

While I am preparing myself for the upcoming year I have established me goals early for Ironman Wisconsin. There are a few reasons that I have established my goals now and not closer to the day of the race. First and foremost, knowing what I want to accomplish in the race now lets me train specific to those goals. Secondly I have broken down what I want to finish each discipline in. Knowing the times that I want to finish in I can monitor my training for each discipline and see if I am on track fitness wise to reach those goals. With that said these are my goals for Ironman Wisconsin

1. Finish!
2. Enjoy the day!
3. Finish a sub 11 hour Ironman
4. Split times Swim 1:10, Bike 6:00, Run 3:40 T1+T2 10:00
5. Have a STRONG marathon

I feel that working towards these goals will ultimately set me up for a very successful race. Of course the goals are in order so if I do not finish under 11 hours I just want to finish the race and enjoy the day. I am a very competitive person but I will not win this race and with my time goals set very high I must remind myself finishing this race is an incredible accomplishment in of itself and to enjoy every moment of the day.

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Lately I have been trying really hard to slow down the swim, bike, run and focus more on the things that I may have neglected during the summer. I have been trying to spend much more time with friends and family and got that chance this past weekend spending a couple nights with friends and the entire day Sunday with the family. I was able to see Zombieland on Friday and go out with friends on Saturday night after work.

I have not had much of a desire since Lake Geneva to get back on my bike. I do not feel any type of drive or much of an interest in riding, however, I feel as if I still have the drive and motivation to work on my swimming and running. I went for a 7 mile run Friday and felt good for the most part. I still find time to run 2 or 3 times a week and still manage to get in the pool about 2 times a week as well.

I am starting to build my training program for Iroman Wisconsin next year. I will do a specific 24 week training program that will start on March 28th. I plan on using the month of March as my chance to get some base miles in and I will spend the winter in the weight room along with some time in the pool trying to better my stroke. My goal this offseason in the pool is to really nail down my stroke and become more efficient in the water. More efficient=faster pace and less energy spent.

As I have been putting together my training program I am also setting my goals for next year, which, all revolve around IMWI. I have decided that I want to run a sub 11 hour race in my first Ironman. Now I know that I may be setting the bar a little too high but I feel that 12 hours is just to slow of a goal time. Maybe I am underestimating just truly how hard an Ironman is, or maybe I am just underestimating how hard I will work over the next year and just how great my potential is. To find that goal of 11 hours I have also picked out split time goals. For swimming I want to complete the course in 1:10 or less, that means I need to swim at a 1:51 pace. For the bike portion I want to finish the course in less then 6 hours, meaning I will need to go faster then 18.7 mph. And finally, this may be the part that I am underestimating the most but I want to finish the run in 3:40 or complete each mile in 8 minutes and 25 seconds. That means I will walk hardly at all during the marathon to do this. Maybe I am making this sub 11 hour goal a little too high of a goal, or maybe I will have run of my life on Ironman day.