Going Long

Last year I completed my first two triathlons, both sprints.  I fell in love with the sport and like many people decided I needed to go longer to be a real triathlete.  My plan going forward was to complete my first 70.3 this season and then step up to a full Ironman (140.6) next year, most likely Wisconsin.

One of the advantages of training is that you have plenty of time to think, and earlier this week while riding the bike I realized that my current volume (7-10 hours per week) is nice and sustainable.  Later this season I can ramp that up to 10-12 hours per week by having a long ride and run outside (if the snow ever melts) in the mornings on Saturday and Sunday without cutting into too much family time.  My kids are only going to want to do things with their parents for another year or two and then they will be gone.  My son is almost 12 and is already entering the obnoxious teenage years of not wanting to do anything except sit in his room and play video games with friends.  I constantly joke about how much I'm looking forward to them leaving the house so I can have my wife to myself again, but I do enjoy them and will miss them when they are gone (don't tell anyone!).

With that being said, I'm starting to rethink my plan to compete in my first Ironman next year as doing it properly will turn my workouts into a part-time job (15-20 hours per week).  Also, a few years of 70.3 and/or Olympic races will better prepare me to actually race an Ironman as I will have an actual base from which to build.  Another positive of shorter races (if you can call 70.3 short) is that you can compete more often and your entire season isn't built around one race.  I can't imagine how disappointed I would be if I worked for an entire year only to have a mechanical, nutritional, or medical issue derail my race.  A third reason to stick with the shorter races is cost.  One full distance Ironman would take up my entire race budget for the year, whereas this year I have a half marathon, 25k, several Olympic triathlons, a 70.3, and a full marathon for the same price!

Fortunately I have plenty of time to decide so there is no hurry... it's just something that popped into my head earlier this week and again while driving to work today.