Life of an Age-Grouper

"Holy Hell" Every triathlon that I race I have a game plan for.  Initially my plans were just to finish.  Then they began to evolve as my passion for this sport grew.  No longer would just finishing be my top priority, my goals became specific and were related to time/splits.  Meeting these benchmarks gave validity to my efforts and fitness levels. Leading into this season I have the loftiest goals to date.  I know that I can be a sub 5:30 athlete.  I fully expect to complete the swim in 35 minutes if not faster, complete the bike under 3 hours and complete the run under 1:50.  I'm not sure how many athletes would actually disclose their goals like I just did, and I can't believe I just did but, I feel that it will hold me more accountable for my actions.  Do I expect to achieve this time at every race, no, but I will when I reach peak condition. Leading into Harriman 70.3 I had written down specific times/splits for the race and had a game ...

Yesterday was the first big training session of my "stay-cation training camp". This session was planned for weeks in advance. It included a 56 mile bike, at race pace, followed by a 6 mile run, slightly below race pace. What made this long brick workout special was the fact that it was to be done on the Harriman racecourse. I spent the days leading up to the race planning and preparing. Was my bike in proper working order? Did I have my race kit? What would I use for nutrition and how would I carry it? How hard could I go on the bike and still have a very strong run? I better not mess this one up like I did the last big triple brick I had! Matt and I made it to the park by 9:00 and had our kickstands up by 9:30. We briefly discussed my wattage and the race course before we embarked on this highly anticipated smashfest. The first loop of the course I really payed attention to the lay of the land. I wanted to be able to push harder and intelligently take advantage o...