Pondering First IM....
How do you know when you are ready to attempt a full IM? I have been pondering it (thinking about IMFL in 2012) so I have about 1 month to decide but wanted to get some input from the experts! Just did my first HIM in Aug. and thoughts of full IM are really stacking up in my mind. I would be doing it just to finish in <17hrs. (HIM was 7:56) I'm not fast (obviously) but have the intense desire to complete a full IM. I'm 40 now so not getting any younger but I am getting fitter. My biggest reservations are 1) SAUs (IF I can even get "permission") . Actually, as I'm writing this, if spouse & fam said "You can totally do it, go for it" I'd do it. I know I could, and manage the training so I guess it is more about external factors than my own "readiness". I gues it is really more about making some decisions but I still would love input from the team! </p>
Comments
I am sure others will weigh in, including WSMs - so you'll get a full boat of opinions ... on how to approach it.
I'm a big believer that if you can do the training, you can finish the race. The key is being able to fit IM training into the context of the rest of your life, whatever that is. IM training is time intensive, even EN-style. It will take up a lot of hours per week, including the requisite prep for the week and taking care of you and your gear. The good news is that inside EN you only need that level of focus for something like 16 weeks or so out from your A race.
Since you're tallking about IMFL, in practical terms, that means you're going to seriously get down to business say July 1-ish. Until then, I expect the prescription would be a 20 week OS starting in Jan, then Gen Prep or HIM from May-June ... then it's time to get to work and focus on the IM. You have a ton of time to get ready. You've already done HIM, so you probably have some idea of what the training is like. If you like the training and can mentally picture yourself doing it (plus a little more) for a period of time, then it is probably doable -- provided you can make it work within the rest of your schedule.
IMO, it's rarely the training itself that causes issues - it's putting it into context. If you're mentally and physically willing to commit the focused time, then my frank suggestion would be to sit down w/ your SO/family and map out what it looks like in advance. If they're OK with it, then it's up to vou.
Jeff makes a very good point below about race selection coming from New England vis-a-vis the calendar. Lived in MA for 4+ yrs and I agree that a late season race could be less than ideal. As you know, you can get really great cycling weather through Sept, but Oct could get iffy or at least wet. It will also start getting cooler, and you'll need to deal with shorter daylight hours at the end of your training when you'll want to do the longest rides and runs outdoors. If OW swimming is important to you, you may have to deal with cold open water locations by Oct 1. Lastly, your training partners will start ending their tri seasons in early to mid-Sep and doing Fall events, running races, 'cross, etc. ... when you still need 4 hour rides. When living in western MA, I had a training pal who did KQ at LP, and he did a lot of big rides solo in late Sep. - and FL is a whole month post Kona. For New England peeps, LP, MT or KY are usually better timing than FL .. but the FL course is dead flat - so that could help. None of this is to suggest it's not doable -- people do it every year; you just have to factor it into your thinking in terms of what you want to do.
FWIW in terms of 'readiness', esp. for your first IM, you may never feel 'ready' ... but once you finish, I bet you'll realize that you were in fact ready, and a lot more ready than others on the beach with you in Panama City. That's one of the best benefits of EN - proven plans and execution strategies. Do the plan, follow the guidance and you have a very high probabiility of a successful finish.
Good luck with your decision!
One reason to do IMFL is b/c I am doing it as well,
You said it best, "intense desire to complete a full IM"...That's all you need to execute what RnP have created for us AGers.
I kept family impact to a minimum at a cost to sleep. I was up real early during the week to get the work done but there is little to no way around the fact that on the weekends you are going to be up and out the door for several hours to do the longer rides. I tried to always make a point of coming back home "willing" to pry myself off the couch to do something with the family. The self coaching guide has a key point on picking a volume for your long rides that is repeatable and fits what life gives you. For me that was 3-3.5 hours on most saturdays for the bike plus a quick 20-30 minute run which is still a lot of training time. 2-2.5 hours on Sunday for the bike. Add in one or two "epic" weekends and you are well on the way to having the fitness to getting it done. Thursday's long runs for me involved even earlier wake ups but it was very cool to get it out of the way first thing and be done.
Also, doesn't your employeer let you out early on Friday during the summer? You could move your long Sat Bike to Friday which could ease up the family impact a bit on the weekends at least until the fall hits.
Also, FL is flat so it will be faster than the hilly course for your HIM, FWIW.
And Jeff is right, no way around the fact that RR1 is end of Sept and RR2 is mid Oct. Weather in CT will be up in the air especially by Oct...But probably very doable with the right gear on. Shudder at the thought of indoor RR but its always a back burner option if the snow comes early.
The big positive in the EN world is how few hours you will really need to do an IM. I did my first four with a different coach - who was excellent, but just required a lot more hours. This year with EN my family was super pleased with the much lower hours of training I needed to do to get ready.
How committed are you to Florida? Having to do those long rides in the cold/rain or on a trainer could be nasty. How about a summer race instead? Also, if you work, what is your busy season? Can you try to put your big training block into a slower work time?
Just some other factors to think about. :-)
---Ann.
My rule of race goal-making is that if it excites me enough to make a glint in my eye and I'm a little scared of it, its a good goal.
Definitely recommend getting another half (or maybe two) in before IM, if you can.
Jennifer is right about fatigue build-up. Ironman makes you really dumb, in this weird, hazy way, for at least a month.
@ Kim - If you are asking the question, then you are ready. Seriously. Just go ahead and register when it is time. A friend of mine gave me the adage below and I have lived by it ever since:
Seriously, that is all there is to it. Given everything you wrote above, you are ready. You just need to pull the trigger. And, having already "found" EN, you are well ahead of the pack.
Now, once you register, you have to put it out of your mind. Do not start the OS thinking, "I am getting ready for Florida in 12 months." YOU WILL GO BAT-$&IT CRAZY if you do so. You probably already know this, but there is a great new thread/wiki post about planning your OS and how that will fit into your season plans......
Finally, listen to your husband. We are usually right.
Florida is a good choice for you I believe. Fast course and will help you to meet your main goal of finishing it in the 17 hours. I also believe you will improve exponentially in your speed and fitness this coming year.
Although probbaly not ideal from a timing for training in potentially crappy weather, I did choose FL because it is later in the season and flat. I am open to suggestions but based on my research, FL is best for me. (Hills=standstill)
Plus, I have 1/2 day Fridays in the summer and no kids, so in my mind, I can do it. Need to sell it at home now....
When choosing an IM (or even a 70.3), I first and foremost pay attention to the date of the race - and more importantly the three months leading up to the race. I live in Houston and our summers are ridiculously hot and humid. I'd love to do an August or September Ironman race but that would mean the bulk of my training would happen during the hottest time of the year. It would be horrible. I really have to choose an early or late season race for that reason. The three IM's I've selected in the past reflect that - IMTX is in May and IMFL & IMAZ are in November. Training in September is no picnic either but I gotta do what I gotta do. The NZ or AUS IM races would be ideal but that doesn't work because my son is in school and I'm not going to go to Australia or NZ without the family.
Myself and former-EN'er David Scholl are 99% certain we're going to hit a Euro race in 2013. He was born in Germany, lived there for 10 years and is fluent. Challenge Roth or IM Regensburg are the likely choices. We're both already cursing the training because that would mean some real hot weather training. Roth is certainly our first choice but we're seriously contemplaing IM Reg just because that's three weeks less training in really hot conditions.
IMHO....You are ready when your mind says you want to do it and you are willing to devote the time to do the training. Family support of course helps...but if you are willing and they are not...well......I believe that if you really want to do this...and you make that clear what it means to you...they will support you....if not...well...I would do it anyway.
then...+1 to what Joe posted - Motivation through Registration....
Also consider logistics...don't make getting to and doing the race harder than training for it.....and consider a venue that would make family involvement/participation a reward/motiviation for them as well...I'm really not advocating going nuclear over your desire to do the IM.