The countdown on the Ironman China website is now down to 79 days. While I am sadly sidelined with a knee injury and unable to participate, there are still 1000+ Ironman racers around the world who are entering the height of their training. This is my favorite part of training and the one I am most sorry to miss. By now you all have an established base, you are in great shape, and now every week you pull off a long bike ride and a long run which each reminds you what great of shape you are in. Granted you might finish an 80 mile ride hating your bike seat and wanting to kill the inventor of Gatorade, but within 30 minutes of finishing you are high as a kite. Life becomes very good.
Assuming a 3 to 4 week taper, there are about 2 months of heavy training left before China. For me that would have been 8 Saturday mornings to ride up Pacific Coast Highway or head south to Palos Verdes. These would be 4-hour rides building to a 6+ hour ride 4 weeks out. I love the feeling of riding this long, doing a short transition run, going out for a massive lunch and then taking a well deserved nap. Given what I had already accomplished in the morning, I don't feel guilty eating so much nor having a few beers at lunch. It's as if I get to be a glutton and sloth but without any guilt. Life is good. I think I miss this the most.
The other thing I miss is that I'm one of those people who trains with an iPod. I mostly listen to Podcasts while riding. My favorites are the podcasts from Dave Warden's Tri-talk, Competitor Radio, Ironman and of course
Triathete Magazine. I also have a few technology podcasts that I like. I make sure to sync the iPod before heading out and can easily have 3-5 hours of podcasts to listen to. It never gets boring and what better time is there to hear Warden talking about pedal cadence than while riding? I have found that since I haven't been able to ride that the number of unplayed podcasts on my iPod is beginning to strain its limited storage capacity. Yet another reason to get healthy.
I also miss getting to answer the typical Monday morning question, "So what did you do this weekend?" and then watching their jaws drop when I tell them.
I remember a few years ago when I was at the inaugural Ironman Arizona and my brother came out to support me. He is an accomplished triathlete but hadn't done a race in a few years and was battling his own knee injury. As we were walking through the exhibition area a few days before the race he looked around and said, "Everyone looks so fit. I want to be like that again." That's how I feel as I read the emails that coming from readers training for China and other Ironman races. Judging by your work-outs you are so incredibly fit, and I want to be like that again one day. For now however I will just live vicariously through you. I am so motivated by your stories and hope you all the best in your training and of course on race day.