Whether you have dabbled in some short course triathlons before or not, the Half Ironman, and eventually the Ironman, take the sport of triathlon to a whole new level. If you have never done a triathlon before in your life and you want to do a Half Ironman, be ready to work and train harder than ever before. Personally, for me, the Half Ironman is my favorite distance. I have done numerous sprint tri’s, as well as Olympic distances, but neither come close to the sense of achievement you get when you tackle a race of this magnitude. Think about it. You are going to do a race that can last as long as most peoples day job. It's a long day. But, oh man, what a feeling it is when you cross that finish line (hopefully still standing). It's hard to explain. The first time I finished, I wept. I couldn't believe I had done it. I was on a high like you wouldn't believe. I refused to wash off the body marking and take my wrist band off for at least a week. I wish everyone could experience this sense of accomplishment. Funny thing is, anyone and everyone can. I've seen a man with no legs do this race, I've seen a blind man do this race, and i've seen many others do the race that i just shake my head at thinking how in the world they are doing the same thing i am. It's a journey. And it all starts with you making that commitment to say, I'm going to do a Half Ironman. And don't wait. Do it now.
It all starts with finding the race you want to do. I look for the M dot trademarked races, also called the Ironman 70.3’s. It could be in your hometown, or it could be in another state or country. Starting out, I like races a hop and a skip from where I live. I’m not yet comfortable transporting my bike via express mail. But that’s just me.
The next thing you need to nail down is a training plan. I like to start training 4-5 months out from the race. I also like to start training with a good base. I enjoy swimming and running on a regular basis in the offseason. I don’t put in tons of hours, but just enough to hold my own for either a nice 30 minute swim or a 1 ½ hour run. Again, its just endurance that I’m looking for here, not speed. That comes later. Training is what it is all about. If you can stick to your training schedule, the race will actually be enjoyable. You want to go into race day excited and confident, not nervous and scared your not going to finish. I'll put a good training plan on here in the coming weeks.
So, find that race and get signed up (before it sells out). Most Ironman 70.3’s sell out. Some quicker than others. To find Ironman 70.3 races, go to the official website at www.ironman.com.
Cheers
Cheers
