October 29th was the official start date for my training campaign into IM TX.  After Kona the plan was to start mid November after a 3-4 week 100% off of training break.  Well…..that all changed with a phone call from Jesse while I was walking around an adult beverage store in Worcester.  

As I picked up the phone I didn’t even get a “Hello”  All I heard on the other end of the line was “we have to start tomorrow”  ”What, it’s only been 2 weeks off?!” After a few minutes of talking I realized why training would start 2 weeks before the original planned date

There was going to be a massive change to the first 12 weeks of training.  

The change would be to the Swim/Bike/Run volume balance.  I would essentially become a cyclist for 12 weeks.  I would end riding between 300 and 400 miles a week with lots of specific intervals.  And only running 10-12 miles a week!  

Long story short…I needed to become a cyclist. I needed believe I could ride a bike.  I needed to have the same mental approach leaving T1 as I do when I run out of the T2 tent.  

Although I wasn’t able to get a 16 minute overall PR like Cait, I did grab a 9 min PR.   The run turned out to be one of my slower days, but with the focus on the bike the whole year, riding a 10 minute PR on a legit course (rolling and 56 miles of headwind) I’ll take it.  Since 2008 I have been able to add 8-10 watts (16-20 watts per year) per IM to my race day power, all while keeping my running between 3:04- 3:10. Not quite the 2:51 that Cait runs, but, I’ll get there.

I have been able to do this through consistent training…day in day out..week after week, month after month. I have ZERO genetic talent. I don’t have the best training equipment and I don’t live in a training “mecca” at 20,000Ft. 

What do I have?

I have correct race day pacing based off real world numbers, not 20 minute “tests” or 60 minutes TT’s. I have proper training intensity’s every single day. No guessing “is today to hard or to easy?”.  I have great nutrition through The Core Diet, I have awesome training partners (Catherine Sterling in the pool and Justin Butler on the bike), and I have a blue collar work ethic.  I get up every single day and punch the “time clock”  There is no fan fare, there are no Facebook post about my training paces or my 97k meter swim all on :55.  I simply get up everyday and do the work.

 I put my time in.  IM racing isn’t about getting in the most amount of TSS in the shortest amount of time because some guy in a lab said over a 6 week period people became “more fit” with lots of high intensity workouts…Well guess what?  The race course isn’t the lab…You still need to ride 112 miles.  You think the best in the world are riding 400-600 miles a week because “its fun” to spend 20+hrs a week on a small piece of plastic?

My tip to those who read this.

Get up every day (pretty obvious) eat right, train at the proper intensity, put in your time, pick the correct race day wattages/paces/hr’s and have a tested race fueling plan. 

If you do that, things will work out for you.

I’ll leave you with three great quotes said by one of the greatest coaches to ever take the field, Vince Lombardi 

“Dictionary is the only place that success comes before work. Hard work is the price we must pay for success. I think you can accomplish anything if you’re willing to pay the price.”

“It’s easy to have faith in yourself and have discipline when you’re a winner, when you’re number one. What you got to have is faith and discipline when you’re not a winner”

And my all time favorite.

“Some of us will do our jobs well and some will not, but we will be judged by only one thing-the result”