Lessons Learned at IMCDA

I've had nearly two weeks to mentally review my Ironman training, and the event itself, and here are a few random yet consistent thoughts I keep coming up with.....

1. First and foremost....I'm "in", meaning, I'm addicted. Some people ask me "so, what will you do now that you've checked this off your list?" I tell them I don't have a "list". This wasn't a stand-alone goal. It's more like a lifestyle now. Sure, I've got my real job, family, and everything that is associated with job and family will of course be first and foremost. But I'm fortunate that my wife and boys are enthusiastic and supportive of my "hobby". My experience at Coeur d'Alene only served to reinforce my........dare I say............passion........for the sport.

2. So, if I'm going to keep doing this, I want to get better, right? To do that, we need more focused and structured training. I am very happy with the level of endurance I was able to accomplish over the past year. I finished an Ironman on my feet, with a smile on my face and a little bit of a bounce in my step. The past two weeks I've felt great, have taken a couple of light to moderate rides and some short runs of varying intervals. Now I've adopted an Olympic distance training schedule from Triathlon Magazine's "Essential Week-by-Week Guide". This time around, I plan on following the variable intensities of the workouts, as opposed to my recent experience of focusing primarily on long sessions at a moderate intensity.

3. Swim. Yes, swim. Swim more. Swim better. Swim in different water. OK, so I didn't really "learn" this, as I knew it all along, but IMCDA certainly served to reinforce the need to continue to build on swimming. No, I'll never be one of those dudes in the lead pack flailing away like there's no tomorrow. But I certainly don't need to be in the back 1/4 of the pack either, lumbering along for half an hour before I decide to actually swim. So, I'll continue to seek advice, help, coaching, etc., and will remind myself that swimming is just like cycling and running.....your performance is based on your level of training.

4. STICK TO YOUR NUTRITION PLAN!!!! Lord have mercy. I'm smart enough to know this. After all of the work I put into developing a plan, experimenting, and becoming totally satisfied with my Hammer Nutrition-based plan, I ditched it at the start of the marathon! I guess I was suffering from some sort of stealth exhaustion-induced brain failure. Sort of like what mountain climbers experience at extreme altitudes. In any event, don't let Raceday me out-think training period me.

5. I've got a great group of friends and family. Outside of my wedding and the birth of my children, I don't think I've ever received so many well-wishes for anything I've ever done in my life. And not just the disinterested "hope you do well" type stuff. Honest to goodness interest and intrigue from friends, family and even casual acquaitences. And even from highly-accomplished triathletes.....the kind of folks who would have been showered, changed, munching on pizza and drinking a beer by the time I crossed the finish line.

That's all for now. Thanks for checking in.