Training for Ironman Texas 2013, Year 3, Week 1

Two years ago I blogged a pretty comprehensive account of my training program, whereas last year I presented a more general overview of my training program as part of my regular activities. I haven't really given thought to what level of importance my training for Ironman Texas will hold in my blog for this year.

My original intent for this third undertaking of this race course was to clear most of the other events and distractions from my schedule so I could spend the first 4.5 months of the year concentrating of the preparation of this race for a solid best case effort. While I still intend to give everything I can to doing this race, there is no doubt that I am playing catch-up to where I was fitness-wise three and a half months ago when I was feeling like I was in the same shape I had been 20-25 years ago. After significant injury and a few months of being laid up, I have fallen from this level of fitness, though I am starting to find out that I have not lost all of my fitness along the way.

While this may not be an ideal way for me to take on the challenge of Ironman, I am still looking forward to setting my best foot forward towards getting this done....and doing it well.

Week 1 was a warm-up week to get me back into the training process and evaluate whether my body would respond well to the resumption of full training. This week included the following training totals:

Swim: 2800 yards in 1:10:46
Bike: 75 miles in 4:17:29 These workouts were done on the trainer or spin bike and the distance numbers are estimated based upon effort.
Run: 13.39 mile in 2:18:12
Other: 20:00 minutes of strength training

Total Time: 8:06:17

110 days until Ironman Texas.....

Into the Future....

This past Thursday I had my most recent follow up appointment with my surgeon. During this appointment he told me that back in October/November he thought I was crazy to think that I could properly recover and train for the Ironman race by next May, though he always told me that it was possible if I healed well. I did my part by following doctor's orders on recovery and followed my physical therapy regimen as well.

During this appointment he told me that my recovery is beyond his expectations and he has cleared me to begin training for Ironman Texas. He says he will be there watching friends do the race and will expect to see me doing it as well.

Monday begins my return to an Ironman training program. It will just be some small steps up at first so as not to risk injury by doing too much too fast, but in time it will grow to a full training program designed to get me through the race. Getting to race day is still not guaranteed as my injury may pose as yet unknown issues, however I will deal with those--and anything else--as they come.

Ironman Texas awaits!

117 days and counting.....

Goals for 2013

I have been having trouble attempting to quantify goals for this year. After coming off a year far more successful than I expected (definitely more successful than I could have reasonably expected in terms of 3 first place age group awards) in which I had a new PR for every race and/or race distance. However, I also suffered from a terrible injury back in October and am still working on my final medical clearance to return to training. For now, I have been cleared for a partial return to training and while I have picked back up with light running and indoor cycling, it has not been the same as before. I have done a small bit of swimming, though my physical therapist has wanted me too hold off for a bit longer before spending much more time doing that. In consideration of this recovery effort, I am not certain what I will be completely able to do this year. One thing is certain, after the last (nearly) three months I have been through I know I will do something--even if it means a major scaling back of all goals. However, I'm still going to include some aggressive goals and see what I can make happen.

1. Complete my third Ironman race on May 18, 2013. I registered for this race last summer in the first moments that registration was open. Last year I set a PR of almost three hours from the year before and I was hoping to aim for cutting another hour or two off of that time. Since this race is coming up in about four months, I have little extra time to work with in terms of preparation after I get cleared to proceed, so I will make this goal one of "just" completing the race. However, given the opportunity to do so, I will push myself towards a new PR if I can.

2.With no real idea how long my recovery will take I will forgo my general desire to PR every race and set a more realistic PR goal for 2013. In this case I will attempt to set a PR for at least one running event and one triathlon event.

3.Do at least one very unique race event. I'm not going to place too many restrictions on this, just something out of the ordinary.

4. This year I hope to be more mindful of not letting my training schedule monopolize my overall schedule. This can be especially hard to do during Ironman training, but I want to make sure I save time for my family and not make them feel like they are secondary to my training.

5. Find ways to be helpful to others in these sporting activities and follow through with helping them. Look for ways to return to others the goodwill I have received from people within these sports, especially to those who may be new the active lifestyle.


This may not be the outline of the year I would have wanted to have (after all 3 months ago I felt like I was on track to a sub-5:30 half iron triathlon and would have wanted to plan an aggressive year for 2013), but it is a good starting point for year I want to have considering all that I have been through. Perhaps it is the year I need to have to set some balance in my life and to look forward to greater things in the future beyond this year.