I'm out...for the rest of this season...

Well, it seems the training has caught up to the old body. It's an accumulation of the year up until this point. Looking back at my training log, I've been pretty consistent from October...so it stands to reason that I need to recharge.

Besides my body being totally "pissed off", and letting me know in it's own way, mentally I'm not super excited about doing IM Florida. To start training for an Ironman, you should be "chomping at the bit" to do those type of long focused workouts.

The process to determine if you are ready to begin the IM training process reminds me of an interview for my first job out of college. They gave you a timed logic test, and the score was evaluated with your undergraduate grade point average. This first step seems similar to the first step of deciding if you're ready to begin training for an Ironman...and answers the question, "Do I have the necessary healthy physical tools (swim, bike, run) to train for, and then complete an Ironman"?

The second step consisted of multiple interviews with different people, but I still remember a question asked of me by the guy who ultimately hired me..."Do you need instant gratification with your work"? I wasn't sure what he was asking me at first, which was do I need projects that were able to be completed in a short time frame...or could I maintain focus on a very long running project and keep in sight the "big picture". I had really never thought much about this...but it seems to really apply to Ironman training. In other words, can you maintain singular focus on an event that is 4-6 months away...doing every workout, training test, and realize that any race (running, triathlon, etc.) that is done up until that point will soley be for training purposes? It's tough to focus for that length of time, especially when you know that things could go horribly wrong on that single day (sickness, nutrition, injury).

Currently for me, the answer to step one is no...so there really isn't a reason to go onto step two. I'm shutting it down. I've withdrawn from IM Florida and the 1/2 IM in South Carolina. After talking it over with my coach, Shawn Burke at Velocity Multisport, we've decided it would be best for me to concentrate on doing everything possible to have the best races I can at the 70.3 in St. Croix and the Ironman Coeur d'Alene next year. That means going into the training for those races totally fresh (step 1) and focused (step 2). I have a chance to do well at both of those races, and don't want to spoil that opportunity by digging a hole now. Shawn reminded me that training for an IM takes at least 3 times as much effort than getting ready for a 1/2 IM...so the toll it takes is great, and the recovery after is long.

What now? A couple/few weeks off...some/many alcoholic beverages...a few more alcoholic beverages...and then gradually claw myself back into some fitness to get ready for the IM training load. This will probably start in the November/December/January time frame. I've already started to stack on the pounds...so I'll have to get that under control. As I get older, it's soooo easy to put on the weight...and soooooooooooooo hard to get it back off. My suggestion, don't get old!

I'll keep you updated...

Sween