DO WORK

Before I recap the last couple weeks....you'll probably notice I removed my last Blog entry. Anyone who hasn't been sleeping the last week should be well aware of all the trash talking amongst 1 and 2 from this years Ironman World Championship. I figured I'd take down my thoughts on the Reid article, Norman's performance or Macca's latest interview and sit this ride out.

..............................

So about my training. Things have been going quit well lately. The taper went nicely and I feel I've done my best to soak up the past years worth of training. I haven't over-done it during the past couple weeks......Only key workouts and and striking the match when needed.

The goal over the next few days will be to stay sharp, stay off my feet as much as possible and bring the stress elements in my life down to a level non-existent.

So there it is.....Not much to talk about. Wish I had more to say but my mind is on one thing right now. I'm sure everyone understands.

..............................

Onto the more creative side of my life. I'm working on a local athletes website for 2007. Not only am I doing his athlete website, I've been commissioned to build his professional site as well. Not only will those two things occupy my time during the off-season, but I'll be doing a bit of updating to my site and the www.traintoendure.com site as well. Actually, Dave's site will get a complete make-over. Look for Train To Endure to re-open with a whole new look in 07.

You'll probably notice a new menu bar at my site. Just a few of the add-ons I'll be putting in place to make the site more professional and appealing. I'll also be including an "Under the Hood" section for all interested parties looking to find out a bit more what goes into my racing (i.e. - equipment) and my nutritional needs (i.e. - supplements). Once it's finished, it should showcase everything I use down to the most miniscule of items, like my socks.

Thats it. On to Florida. I'll try to make it to the only coffee house with Wi-Fi. From what I hear, PCB hasn't really caught on to the technology wave spreading through America.

Mg

I'm pretty tired and a little shelled from the weekends workouts so bear with the intermitent thoughts and ramble. A big day of cycling and running on Saturday and a 21 mile run today followed by 75 minutes on the trainer have me thinking more about rest than anything else.

Over the next few day's and possibly all week long, I'm sure there will be a recovery period from today's run. As with the 20 mile run I did 14 days ago, there was about a 7 day grace period to offset any and all fatigue that came with the run. While there was little to no muscle soreness, I did crash pretty hard late in the week and on through the weekend.

After looking over the schedule, I have taken notice that my run taper will begin tomorrow. The bike is another story and will not start that taper for another week. Next weeks cycling volume will be my biggest and most structured yet. Swimming...well thats another story and I will only increase my volume until a week out. Once I'm inside of race week...I'm sure I'll cut back the swimming volume a bit to sharpen up for race day. Can't be too certain as Dave has held back the race week schedule.

Anyway, thats about it. It's 10 pm and I'm off to bed. A solid 12 hours of sleep and a nice easier day tomorrow will be much appreciated and most definitely warranted. I can only hope my prep stays as smooth as it's been going.

Later

The local triathlon scene in Texas has more or less come to an end. That's a good thing and a bad thing at the same time. Let's see if I can elaborate a little more........

Next season begins now. How much one athlete evolves from this season to the next....rests in all the decision's he or she makes during the next 5 months. The amount of down time you take between your last race of the year and the start of an off-season training build is probably the most important aspect in all your training. So many athletes underestimate the fitness gains that can be reached by letting your body recover, regroup and re-charge from a whole years worth of stress and torment. Somewhere between 2 weeks and 4 weeks is usually the norm for any athlete unsure how to approach a rest period. How an athlete transitions from rest to training is another key aspect of fitness gains. How will you tackle the next 5 months of training. Where's the structure? What do you focus on? How does one determine which discipline to give priority to. Limiters baby, that's the ticket. Learn them, train them, and turn them into your greatest ally.

The latter portion of that thought is really between the athlete and coach. No athlete or individual is the same, therefore it would be extremely ignorant of me or anyone else for that matter to prescribe an off-season plan based upon there own fitness goals and limiters.

What I'm trying to convey is simple. Off-season is there for a reason. Take it and you'll appreciate yourself come this time next year. Don't take it, you won't get a chance to get it back once the season starts. You ever wonder why football players, baseball players, basketball players, etc, etc only play the game and or train for a given period of time. Ever ask why spring training or camp starts at the same time every year and we don't hear anything else about the players or teams until that time. Something to think about if you keep pushing envelope well past your last race of the season.

The only bad portion of a season coming to a close is learning how to cope with with several months absent from competition. For most athletes, competition and racing is a time to get away from the office, hang out with friends and engage in some hefty competition amongst there piers you wouldn't otherwise get to do if a race wasn't present. It's an outlet for a lot of people.

On the flip side, this is the best part of the season for me. Not because I don't enjoy racing, but because I've raced 12-14 races and given everything I had to each and every one of them. I have nothing left to prove. I don't need that one last race, that one last feeling of accomplishment. I don't need one more chance to run, ride or swim faster than I have before. Shoot, I've had all season to do that. To me, if you need that one last race after it's all said and done....you didn't give the season everything you have. Honestly, there's a lot to be said walking into a race knowing it's the last one of the season, and that when it's all said and done.....your able to let it go and enjoy the ride and race for what it's worth.

As for me, I got one more. The big daddy....Ironman Florida. I've been working towards this race all year. Total focus and one goal. I told myself after a DNF at IM Wisconsin last year, I wouldn't show up to another Ironman unless I could be competitive. Hopefully, this will be the year I bring it together. I just have one goal.......bring all 3 disciplines together for the best possible race I can produce. There is another side goal I've been holding on to for a while. At this race I want to run. Not a run where I'm trying to make it through the day, but a run where I let it fly. I've been gearing up my running fitness all year long for this puppy. When I show up November 4th, I won't be thinking about pressing the swim or bike. I'll be thinking about that marathon....and what I can do to set up the perfect day.

I'll post up every week leading into IM Florida to document how I feel and jot down some feelings about my preparation heading into this event.

Mg