Update

This is a revamped and updated version of a previous blog about my pursuit of my first 70.3  Half Ironman competition.  I accomplished that goal on August 1, 2009 in Benton Harbor, Michigan.  It was a wonderful/miserable experience.  I swam well (much to the relief of all those that know or care, more on that later) biked OK and ran like a crippled horse that needed to be shot.  But I finished.  After 56 miles on the bike the last 20 plus being directly into the teeth of a 20 mph wind my legs said, "We just aren't going to run today..."and I limped, jogged, crab-walked the 13.1 miles home.

The truth is I had been somewhat "cramming" for the event.  That doesn't work well for science tests or triathlons.  I made the decision earlier in 2009 to race a 70.3, as in miles.  I started heavy training in late April with a coach, Derick Williamson of Durata (http://www.duratatraining.com) and discovered I wasn't nearly in the condition I thought I was for this type of event. My first race being the Boise 70.3 on June 13th.  I felt prepared for Boise but during the 1900m swim I passed out.  That's right passed out in the water.  Lucikly Ironman is a superb organization and had safety people all over the lake and quickly dragged me out.  They believed I had Swimming Induced Pulmonary Edema (SIPE, there is an ancronym for everything...) a rare but real condition that occurs when a particular set of circumstances happen to athletes or people in stressful conditions in the water.  The Navy Seals have the best data on the condition and lose several people a year to the occurence.  Well they wash out of Seal training...they don't die.  And clearly I didn't die either but it was not a good experience to say the least.  I was more mentally hurt by the event than physically and it took me several weeks to get my mind back together.

So I wanted to try again. I had a horrible cough for 2-3 weeks or more after the episode but still signed up for the Michigan 70.3.  My wife Claire was not amused.  I was confident that SIPE was a conditional thing and not permanent for me.

I swam well in Lake Michigan, taking it easy and completing the 1900m swim in +34 minutes by my watch.  They had an odd transition where the timing mat was 2-300 yds up the beach and around the end of the tranistion area adding non-swimming time to the swim portion.  Most swims the timing mat is within a few yards of exiting the water.  I took my time in transition as I was not going for time but an experience, left T1 about 4 minutes later and charged off on the bike. My bike has improved vastly this year with Derick and I've learned to apply power for extended periods of time.  I knew however that a long run was coming up and did not press hard on the bike. I hit the 25 mile mark at around 1:11 at an average of about 21 mph.  Then the wind kicked in on our return leg.  A front moved in with the most vicious wind I've ever ridden in.  The remaining 20+ miles took an enormous amount of effort to just keep moving.  I finished the 56 miles in about 3:02 for an average of about 19 mph.  About 15 minutes slower than I thought acceptable.  And then the run...

I am not a great runner.  Well, at least for distances. I was a sprinter/hurdler in high school and college and learned to loathe any distance training over a few miles.  So a 13.1 mile endurance event at the end of three and half hours of swimming and biking is not my idea of a good time.  But off I went and immediately my legs started cramping and locking up.  And that's the way it went for over two hours.  It was miserable.  But I did it and I am glad I did it.

So what next?  I have an ambitious race schedule for 2010.  I will attempt four 70.3 races., three Olympic races, and three Sprints for a total of 10 races  The fourth 70.3 should be...OK brace yourselves...the Ford 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater Florida.  I know...it sounds crazy.  I told Claire about this and she busted out laughing.  I was not offended.  But Derick believes it is possible.  I am competitive enough in the swim and the bike and with  great off season conditioning work should be very competitive in those two events.  But oh yeah, the tri in triathlon is for three events...I still have to run.  I need  to vastly improve my running to realize my goal of Clearwater.

So why such a goal?  In 2010 I race as a 50 year old.  I "age-up" as we say in the sport.  I won't be the youngest in a particular age group for five more years.  If I'm going to do it now's the time.  And I have to be competitive at this.  I simply cannot stand "just finishing" or doing it "for the experience..."  I am a competitive person.  I realize I have limitations in this sport as a 6'1",  195 pound guy.   My best competitors are about 40-50 pounds lighter than me.  But if I train my weaknesses and race my strengths I can make a serious run at excellence.  And that is always the goal.