We kept it on the "ultra down low". Months ago I started up another blog, IronDreams, and started putting most of my training related posts there. So check it out if you are interested in generally dull posts about daily workouts. ;)
A Bit More Background Info
Last September, Francesca and I did a bike workout in preparation for the Kirkland Sprint Tri. After eating, we chatted a while and she asked if I would workout with her in the off-season. I said of course! nothing like building base. I was thinking of three short workouts per week, one in each sport, just to keep from getting rusty. She was thinking, multi-hour trainer rides twice a week plus runs and swims. While she talked about the workouts she wanted to do starting in December it dawned on me... that kind of volume so early could only mean one thing...
"You signed up for Ironman Arizona, and didn't tell me, didn't you?"
Francesca froze and looked at me with a classic deer-caught-in-the-headlight expression. She immediately fessed up, enlisted my assistance, swore me to secrecy, and then lobbed out the bomb "You know, Coeur D'Alene is still open. You should check it out."
And thus, a small conspiracy was born.
Really High Level Thoughts
I don't think training for an ironman is that hard, ASSUMING you have realistic expectations, and possess basic triathlon (swim/bike/run) skills. What is proving difficult is finding the time for it all. As the adage goes "90% of ironman training is just showing up every day. The rest are details." Pushing yourself, avoiding injury, resting, and doing it again the next day... this is the hard part. Every day it is a struggle to find the time to train.
Francesca and I have realistic goal: just finish. To be able to say "I am an Ironman."
Pedantic note: Ironman is a trademark owned by the World Triathlon Corporation, so only WTC sponsored events can call themselves "Ironman" races. There are a whole slew of "IronDistance" races, but then you can't really claim to be an "Ironman". Yes, this distinction is lost on most people, but we picked our respective official Ironman events for a variety of reasons which boil down to: if my body only has one effort of this distance in it, I want it to be an official Ironman event.
The paragraphs on the Sub 17 T-shirts site sum it up nicely. I like the "Be Stealthy" design, and hope to wear one sometime. :)
The Amazing Francesca
It's been tough. It is hard to train, aside from family issues, work issues, health issues, and having a life beyond work and training. Francesca has worked through all of the above and is going to give her best shot tomorrow, determined to enter and do her best. We're all gonna be cheering as loud as possible, without being evicted by race marshals.
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