So here we are, Mid -October already. Where on earth has this year gone.
I spent much of the morning looking for one more local triathlon tho do before winter sets in, to no avail. There are none on the calendar. Not a one. Bummer. I feel that I could have done many more this year than I did do, but that would have turned into injury after over training injury. I can however start looking at the new year, what is in store. What do I need to accomplish in the off season in order to be better for next year.
First off is to figure out what races I would like to do next year, what distance, how fast do I want to be? The first part is easy - Florida Ironman. I want to complete an Ironman Distance next year. Florida is somewhere I always wanted to go. So that is the easy part - signing up before it fills is usually the hard part, I hope I am fast enough on registration day to get in.
How fast do I want to complete such race - now that is the 100,000 dollar question. Since I have never raced that distance I have to first just say I would be happy with finishing in 17 hours. But that would not go along with my usual Obsessive Compulsive personality. While trying to figure out my fall/winter training program, I have been trying to work on certain areas that need strengthened. But, at the same time in my mind I am wondering how fast can I physically push myself next year. How fast can a 43 year old guy who only started out 2 years ago in Triathlons can go. Realistically. Sure I could tell myself that I could complete the Ironman distance in 9 hours, but would that be realistic. NOT !!!!!! I thought about it for sometime and have decided on 12 hours. That will be my initial goal. 12 hours of swimming, cycling and running.
So that is where I begin... if my training next year is stepped up a notch and I start feeling that I am progressing quicker and stronger that expected than I may drop down to 11 hours. But physically I don't feel that I could go much faster than that. Oh, heck who knows, maybe my body will react to the additional training and just blow up..... 10 hours :-)
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