Re:Tackling the IM distance
I have been tossing around the question in my head for a month now "To do IMWI 2013 or wait to 2014". I completed my first HIM this year (Racine 70.3) and think it went fairly well for being my first half race and it being a balmy 95 degrees 
. I didn't drink enough water on the bike and cramped up a bit on the run, but otherwise I had a smile on my face and LOVED the training, experience, enjoyment of the day. I placed 13th/AG and raced a 5:24. So to all you EN folk I need to ask your thoughts. Would you plan to do a couple more HIMs next year and gain racing experience, or tackle the IM and just go for it? I know they are very different races but I also know alot can go wrong in the IM distance if executed poorly. Coach Rich thought I should ask ya'alls in the forum. Thanks for any input you might have for me!
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Timely post
Look for a blog post from me next week. I started it on Friday and ran out of gas (coffee) about 2/3rd done. Here is the draft
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Many triathletes find themselves pulled inexorably up the distance continuum, from sprint, to Olympic, to half Ironman, to a full Ironman distance triathlon. Training for and racing a 140.6 mile adventure is a significant undertaking, no doubt. Before you make that commitment, we'd like to answer a few common questions we often see from our own athletes:
Am I Ready?
Come in a little closer, we're going to tell you a little secret, but you have to promise to not tell your non-triathlon friends because we want to maintain the mystique and badassness of "Ironman." Ready? Here it comes...
Ironman really isn't all that hard
An extremely challenging goal that will require a measure of discipline and commitment beyond what most of our "civilian" lives ask of us -- absolutely. An opportunity to earn a title that is widely recognized as a badge of courage and sacrifice -- no doubt. But when you stand on the Ironman run course as a spectator for the first time, what will strike you is how unremarkable these remarkable people are, as they move towards achieving their extraordinary goal. They are your neighbors, the lady in the grocery store checkout line, the guy fixing your sink. The fact is that tens of thousands of athletes, just like you, have finished an Ironman and history is filled with stories of humans doing far harder things. We're not as badass as we think we are...just don't tell anyone!
So the answer to the question "am I ready" is "does training and racing an Ironman sound like something that would be fun for you?"
Now, we're not saying that Ironman training will always be fun, like fairies, rainbows, and unicorns fun. We mean a fun, interesting, and rewarding challenge for you vs tedious, druggerry, or "something I feel I have to do because everyone else seems to be doing it."
If you're reading this blog post we are very certain that you're not being paid to race triathlon. Therefore, we believe the answer for you is:
If it sounds like fun, do it. If not, don't do it. This is all just a game.
So if you're in after reading that sentence above, you're ready. The rest are just details.
What Race Should I Do?
First of all, there is no such thing as an "easy" Ironman. 140.6 miles makes for a long day, no matter how you slice it. Trust us, no one at mile 20 of the Ironman Florida run (flat bike, flat run, consistent weather) is saying "whew, I'm sure glad I chose to race Ironman Florida! This is soooo easy!" Nope, they all hurt, guaranteed.
Rather the best race for you to do is the one you can train the best for, given how the timing of the event and training works within the flow of your personal, family, and work year. Additional considerations are travel and logistical costs (driving vs flying, $$$$ vs $$$ lodging), family friendliness, etc. In our experience, these are often a function of your geographical location, as this determines the length of your winter, daylight training hours, and proximity to races. Look for another article from us soon where we give our best race picks for athletes in different areas of the United States.
What Should I Expect, Training-wise?
If you have the time, resources, and mojo, go for it!!
Rich's post sums up my thoughts exactly. FWIW, I did my first IM in my second year in this sport, with ZERO previous experience racing 70.3 or any type of long course. True that HIM is very different from IM, but seems like you have more than enough race experience in your pocket to have a great day. I'd say the biggest issue is keeping things fun and yourself motivated.
I did IMWI last year, my second year of triathlons and had a blast. You live close enough to ride the course many times before the race (Daniella and I are always up for a nice IMWI ride) the camp is easy and AWESOME and the race they put on is well worth it. I am going to do IMWI again in 2014, but I will be back there this year and next as a volunteer. That is a great way to see the race up close, and learn some cool things if you work in one of the transitions. This team shows up in force to cheer you on, so whenever you are ready to race, you will have support.
I say "go for it!!!"
Go for it. With EN behind you and a 5:24 in your pocket, you will have a successful race. Seize the day/year whileyou have the bug.
Like Al says, if you are interested, now is the time.
Go for it Jami! Go stand in line, credit card in hand, with millions of butterflies flapping in your stomach as you sign up a year in advance for your first Ironman. I still remember how nervous I was signing up for IMCDA 3 years ago, I sat there sort of stunned after I'd done it and wondered what I had gotten myself into.
You've got the best training plans behind you, a solid place to get answers to all your questions and the desire to do it. Sit down and figure out from a life perspective if the next year seems like it will be stable for committing to a race like this- 3 months out you need to be willing to focus entirely on getting in the solid training time and avoiding as much distraction as possible. Does your other half (if you have one, not sure) understand what they are in for- this becomes very important in that last 12 weeks (I am 2 weeks out from IMC and my husband has become increasingly annoyed by my weekend rides... but he said he was all in when I signed up so I use that as a reminder). Can you schedule the time in for 3 swims, 3-4 runs and 3 bikes/week in with your job? Do you have the $$ for all the things that go with training, nutrition, gear, replacement gear, bike maintenance, ... including the possibility of needing physio/massage/ART etc. in case of injury? These were all things I considered this year when I jumped back in to IM distance, you want to consider not just the day of the race (which by the way- when you get there relatively speaking it's a piece of cake compared to the training!) but the entire year that preceded it, or at a minimum when the training starts after the OS. That's my Type A spin on things... good luck deciding!!
as a data point for you, I did IMLP in 2011 as my 3rd EVER triathlon. Was religious with reading the wiki, forums, asking questions, and sticking to the training plan. Totally met my goal of "enjoying the day" and coming in under 14 hours...
Recommend attending the training camp if at all possible. HUGE confidence builder and if your like me, you will get some of those race day nerves out of your system during the training camp.
My N=1, which is different than most others here…
When deciding when I was going to do an IM I didn’t want to just get through it, I wanted to do it well. Prior to signing up I wanted to be able to get through an HIM without having issues and go a year without having an injury take me out of running for more than a few weeks at a time. While training for my first ever HIM I became injured and had to switch to a team at the last minute. The next few HIM’s I walked more of the run then I wanted to. I did not want to walk a lot of the IM marathon. I knew I needed to build up more running strength without getting injured in the process. I wanted to be a year injury-free before signing up for an IM. I originally had planned on racing IMWI 2013, but was talked in to doing it a year earlier. At the point I signed up, I was 6 months injury-free and had only walked a few blocks of the HIM I had done that year. Thankfully in 2012 everything came together. I did Kansas 70.3 and felt I had mastered it and went in to IMWI with just a slight injury that didn’t take much out of my training and I don’t think affected my race.
The reason I may never do another IM is because I don’t love biking. I never fully enjoyed the weekend bike rides when training for the HIM, and enjoyed them even less for the IM training. It wasn’t uncommon to cry in the middle of a bike ride thinking “why am I doing this?”. Our area is boring to train in. But, I loved being up in Madison training on the course. If I were to do another one, it would be IMWI and I would live in Madison for the summer. I wish I would have done more of the rides (Dairlyland Dare, etc) in the area, but was too lazy to drive up there. I have so much respect for people that can train for IM’s year after year in our area.
If you can answer yes to all of these, then do one next year, otherwise I’d wait another year or so.
I had an amazing race day experience. I do believe most anyone, especially someone who has done a HIM, can get through the day of the race. But, it’s the training that makes or breaks you.
Personally I have not done an IM yet because I don't have the time to invest in the training. I'm sure I could get across the finish line of an IM tomorrow if I had to, but I'd always know in the back of my head that I was capable of more if only I had maximized my committment to preparation. This is not about placing well in my AG, going sub-11 or whatever. The only way I'll contend for a Kona slot is by winning the war of attrition and making it through a race in my 80'! So for me this is a very internal mental thing about only committing to something when I'm willing and able to be "all in". And at the moment I cannot be "all in" for an Ironman. And, similarly to Daniela, I don't always love the training. Sometimes I do, but by the end of a long season (i.e. now) I'm ready to be done and have major motivation issues. I think Ironman training would brutalize me mentally and I'm not ready to battle that just yet.
You are a very fit and capable triathlete...that is not the issue. the end of the day it is your own very personal goals, motivators and desires that ought to govern your decision.