For the next six months, this blog will focus on
Ironman China 2008, which I
just signed up to do. I will cover both my training as well as the trip planning and logistics (getting to
China, accommodations, and
everything else relevant to the experience). In addition to those triathletes who are going to
China, these
articles should be helpful to anyone who is preparing to race at a location far from
their home. Since this is my first posting on TriathleteMag.com, a little
background information is appropriate.
My name is Wesley Hein. I am the archetypical triathlete. I
spend ridiculous amounts of time, energy and money on this sport for reasons
that I can’t easily explain to non-triathletes. The closest I can come
is that I love to train and I love to be in shape. I come from a running
background but I cannot imagine ever going back to just one discipline. Even
though I did not start swimming until my late 30s, I now enjoy it quite a bit.
I fear getting hit by a car while road cycling, something that has already
happened twice.
Other than dabbling with the sport in my young 20s, I really
didn’t get into triathlon until I was 38. My first race was the Nautica
Triathlon in Malibu, California, and my second was the Hermosa
Beach Sprint Tri. The next year I moved up to Escape from Alcatraz,
Wildflower Long Course, and the Pacific Grove Olympic Distance.
In 1999, my third year in the sport, I raced the inaugural
Ironman USA in Lake Placid. Despite going far too fast for my ability on
the bike and pathetically slow on the run, it was an experience of a lifetime.
I was hooked to long course racing. My second Ironman was the inaugural Ironman
California
(back when it was a full IM). It was an unmitigated disaster, for reasons that
I’ll get into in subsequent posts, but with the passage of time I am now proud
of that race too.
A few years after IM California, my brother, with whom I had
done my first two Ironman races, emailed me with news that there would be a new
Ironman race in Coeur d’Alene,
Idaho. But my family situation
had changed since the last Ironman. I now had a son and daughter. Those and
other responsibilities would have to be factored into my training regimen. The upside was that there would now be two more people waiting for me at the finish line. The downside is that it wouldn’t be so easy to jump on a bike and head out for 6 hours on a Sunday
morning, and the evening Masters Swim workouts were definitely out. Like most triathletes, I would be constantly balancing my desire train with the needs of the real world.
Fortunately, despite unseasonably hot weather on race day, IM Coeur d’Alene was a
success and I’ve done two more Ironman races since then (the inaugural IM
Arizona in 2005 and then back in 2006). I credit the successes in each of these races to the preparation--not just the training but in details like getting to the race location in time to acclimate, having things for the family to do during race week so that I could do what needed to be done, being prepared for things to go wrong because they always do, etc.
A few weeks ago I heard about the new Ironman China for 2008
and immediately signed up. Only then did it strike me the amount of work that
would be necessary from a logistical standpoint to participate in this race. While I would
be able to build upon what I had learned from the previous five Ironman races, this one
would present unique challenges. Among them, this race is in a foreign country.
Not just any foreign country but one that was until relatively recently largely
closed to foreigner visitors. It is also a country with a different language,
culture, food and customs—not to mention climate and time zone. Finally, it is
an inaugural race with no operating history to build upon. Having completed in
four debut races, I know from experience what can go wrong as the kinks get
worked out.
My reasoning for creating this blog is simple. Since I am going to expend
the time and energy to collect the information to participate, I should share
what I learn with fellow triathletes. I think it is worth noting that this blog will be relevant to anyone preparing for an
Ironman, not just China in 2008. There should also be enough training information and stories to keep
things interesting. Well, that’s the plan.