Things are starting to shake out in regards to my plans for Kona this year. I have 34 weeks until the event, and 17 weeks before Ironman Boulder. I’ve decided to sign up for Boulder. Why? The biggest reason is that I want to give qualifying the old fashioned way a try. The second is that I love Ironman Boulder, and last year was the only one that I’ve missed since it came into being. My place at Kona is locked in by virtue of my 13 ironman’s which have gotten me a “Legacy” spot. However, I am racing this year as a 60 year old, and I really want to see if I can qualify on my own. No matter what happens at Boulder, my preparations will help prepare me to be more competitive at Kona. There’s the rub. “Competitive” at Kona means attempting to finish in the top half of my age group! There is no way that I can compete with the top men in my age group. They will finish close to 2 hours faster than me, even if I have the race of my life. But that’s not what this is all about. It’s about giving it everything you’ve got.
This week was my second 10+ hour week of training in a row. It’s tempting to do too much, but I’m being cautious about increasing my training volume. On a positive note, my running pace is only about 30-45 seconds per mile off where I was a few years ago, when I had my best finish at Boulder. My cycling is also quickly coming up to speed, which is encouraging since I literally didn’t ride my bike for 6 months. It’s always remarkable how much cycling fitness one can maintain with running (and a ton of walking in this case). My cycling wattage is only about 20-30 watts off of where it has been in the past, and with the proper training over the next month or so, I would expect that to come right back.
Sixty is the new fifty, or maybe even the new forty. Age is just a number and I intend to keep working to demonstrate that fact. I often say that I’m fitter than I’ve ever been, but have more aches and pains. My low back will attest to that, but it seems to be surviving. I definitely need to get an adequate amount of rest, and pay attention to that as a priority.
My biggest surprise this week was getting into the pool and kicking 1100 yards straight with a kickboard. I’ve never done that in my life! I have to attribute that to my 100 miler and the training that went into it. It’s pretty remarkable how much the leg training translates. Also, my coach has encouraged me to work on my kick insofar as it will translate to my swim in Kona. I’ve been reading about the value of kicking in regards to one’s swim, and there are various schools of thought. The most important seems to be using ones kick to maintain balance and help with overall positioning in the water. My instincts tell me that continuing to work on my kick will help bring my swim back to where it used to be. I’ve actually been feeling pretty good in the water.
Let’s see what the coming week brings. I think that by the end of the week I’ll have an even better idea as to where I am.
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