Wednesday, September 1, 2010

You choose MY Adventure...

I use this blog to vent when things to go wrong, to brag when things go right, to pump myself up when I'm down, and to get feedback when i don't know what's going on. Today, I'm going to use it for all of those things.

What's wrong: I'm still recovering from Timberman. I am no longer in any specific pain, (though I still have the remains of a small blister bothering my foot) but my energy level is only now closing in on normal. I simply didn't have the juice to do anything yesterday. Work was draining, and the heat and humidity (near record high temperature) meant even just walking over for Rach's MRI was exhausting. A few weeks ago, this wouldn't have gotten to me like it did yesterday. I've heard that it takes about a day per mile of the run to recover from a distance race, so in about 3 days I ought to be just about right.

What's right: I've been eating better, and I lost another pound yesterday. I'm still doing a good bit of snacking, but I am snacking in healthier ways, mostly thanks to a good talking to from Rach on the fact that recovery time is not "eat what you like time". Plus, now that I have a race goal to look forward to, it's a lot easier to stay motivated. And I'm feeling pretty fresh today, so hopefully I'll have a good run, and maybe even a bike.

Pumping myself up: As I alluded to above, it's been super hot here, and I've been worrying about Rachelle's knee and what it means for our training this winter. Should have MRI results tomorrow. But I'm not going to let the unknown get in the way of preping for Club Nationals, or for planning for our next season. I'm still holding off on announcing our plans for next years big race, in part because we're waiting for the date, but also because I want to see what's going on with Rach's knee. I still need to focus on keeping myself motivated to improve my racing and get in better shape even if some of it will see Rach cheering from the sidelines instead of riding beside me.

Feedback: So, while I'm all excited to do a race at Club Nationals, I haven't been able to figure out which one to do. There's no difference between the 3 distances in terms of participation points earned toward the championship (which seems weird that short and long races all count the same). There are 3 distances available to choose from, so I'm going to run through the pros and cons of each distance:

  • Half-Iron
    • Pro: I would be a freaking super hero if I finished 2 half-irons in my second season
    • Con: THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY I'M DOING THE HALF IRON DISTANCE.
  • Olympic
    • Pro: I DNF'd my first attempt at an Olympic this season, so there's a revenge motivation here. Plus this is likely the flattest (aka easiest) Olympic course I will ever see in my life. And it only costs $20 more to do the Olympic than the sprint.
    • Con: I only have a month to prepare, so it seems like taking a big bite in a short window. I won't likely be able to run the entire 10k as my training plan has me working to get to 5k distance in time. It takes a lot more time to do a 10k, so less time exploring Myrtle Beach with sis-in-law. 
  • Sprint
    • Pro: Short, flat, fast. Absolutely positively will be able to PR this race. Best chance to add placement points in the sprint race where I can go all out.
    • Con: The only thing I can think of as a reason not to do the sprint is that the race will feel like it's over before it starts.
Here's where you come in. Poll Closes 9/3/10 @ 8:00 AM ET.
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      PS. I reserve the right to think you're all nuts and do whatever I want. ;)

    6 comments:

    1. Voted! Hope you choose the sprint so you will have time to enjoy everything else that goes on around you even more. I love destination races so I can race and enjoy myself at the same time.
      Derek

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    2. Ben,

      If you want a real flat Olympic race for next year try FIRM Racing's Old Colony in Middleboro, MA. I did it this year and it was quite flat and very enjoyable. You do 4 laps of a 6 mile loop, so it can be real spectator friendly. You then run the same lap in reverse direction for the run.

      It was a ton of fun.

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    3. Voted as well. I too think you should do the sprint. Enjoy your time with family and do the shorter race. Just one girl's opinion:)

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    4. Definitely the Sprint! I wouldn't even worry about a PR - just really, really enjoy it.

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    5. I voted for Olympic distance. My thinking is that if you want to go long for an Ironman inside of a year, you need to keep thinking long, get miles under your belt and not worry about PRs.

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    6. Thanks for the opinions everyone! It was fun having the folks reading pick the distance for me.

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