Getting ready for my big event.

[BillCobit]

Three years ago I vowed I would do the Lake Placid Ironman in summer '05. Seemed like an eternity away then...but it's rapidly approaching now.

I've been sticking to a race-day-minus-36-weeks training plan. Except for Christmas week and the week when I did my impulse marathon, I've been able to manage all of the planned activities. But it's gonna start getting harder as the volume ramps up. I may cut back on swimming and running in favour of the bike if the schedule becomes too tough to manage.

http://members.aol.com/teampumphead/traingraph.jpg

I don't have the engine of a typical age-group endurance athlete, but I think it's possible for me to pull this off. My definition of "success" is finishing within the 17 hour time limit. If I make the 10.5 hour bike cutoff, I think my chances of completion are decent.

I can't wait to do some outdoor riding; this winter has been a disaster for bike training, and the bike is my biggest concern. Spring should be here any week now (fingers crossed!)

[tommy]

YOU DA MAN!

[BillCobit]

YOU DA MAN!

We'll see! I feel like I'm waaaaaay over my head on this one. But I'm going to go through with my plans and find out what I can do. I suppose I should work on my self-confidence...might come in handy on race day ;)

[Les]

Your sef-confidence was already in place when you embarked on this journey. We're with you, Bill.....Go with it and for it!

[Arpy]

Three years ago I vowed I would do the Lake Placid Ironman in summer '05. Seemed like an eternity away then...but it's rapidly approaching now....


Bill

You have achieved legend status by even contemplating doing an Ironman!

Ive just completed two cycle legs of small triathlons (at a measly 10km distance @ 32km/hr on the bike) and am very keen to do a full triathlon once Im confident a swift kick in the sternum during the swim leg wont crack me open again.

Its through seeing the passion/motivation of the likes of yourself (and indeed many others in this wonderful community) that inspires me to do better / more - as Im sure it does for a whole lot of other people as well.

Mate I'll be sending you positive thoughts for your training - but in my mind you are already a winner.

Keep it up.

I'm sure I, and many others, will be very keen on hearing of your training progress prior to the big day so keep us informed.

Best Regards

Russell

[Sethgold]

Bill, thanks for your reply to my post. I wish you Good luck in your event, I have a feeling you will finish well below the 17 hour cut-off. I cant wait to be 3 Years Post-op. Finish Strong.

Seth

[Raverlaw]

Bill,

That is an agressive training regimen - sticking to that alone will make you a winner in my book. Good luck with the Ironman - aren't goals great?

Keep us posted on how you're doing - and train smart: we'd hate to see a last minute injury keep you out of the race.

[stormrev]

Hi Bill

What a great goal!

I managed a couple of Ironman triathlons in the mid 90's when I was a mere lad of 37 (and didn't know about the biduspid valve!). I can hardly imagine doing it now, just 1 year post-op and struggling to get back to a reasonable fitness level.

Keep us in touch with how it all goes. I have dreams about one day completing another Ironman - maybe when I'm 50?

All the best

Grant

[Ross]

It's a must do now or Chucky will beat the snot out of you. :D

[BillCobit]

It's a must do now or Chucky will beat the snot out of you. :D

Belive me, I'm committed to this! I've sunk too much time, $$ and energy into preparation to turn back now. I can't guarantee I'll finish, but barring tragedy, I'll be in Mirror Lake at 7am on July 24! I'll either come back and gloat obnoxiously or 'fess up to failure.

Thanks, everybody, for words of encouragement.

Grant, sounds like you may be getting the bug!

[PJmomrunner]

Good for you, Bill! I have spent at least a couple weeks a year in LP for the past two decades and last year spent 13 hours supporting a friend as he did the Ironman 2004! What an INTENSE event! You will find the most supportive spectators at LP. The town takes great pride in its status as an olympic venue and that spills over enormously to every athletic event it hosts. If biking is your weakest link, train on biking. My friend (who won is age group) felt he had underestimated the difficulty of the hills. Good Luck!

[BillCobit]

Good for you, Bill! I have spent at least a couple weeks a year in LP for the past two decades and last year spent 13 hours supporting a friend as he did the Ironman 2004! What an INTENSE event! You will find the most supportive spectators at LP. The town takes great pride in its status as an olympic venue and that spills over enormously to every athletic event it hosts. If biking is your weakest link, train on biking. My friend (who won is age group) felt he had underestimated the difficulty of the hills. Good Luck!

Hi PJ - I have also made several trips to LP over the past years. My first visit was part of a cycling tour in 1998. Since then, I've taken my family back several times for vacation, and watched a couple of Ironman events while visiting.

Your friend apparently earned a qualifying slot for Kona -- did he also do that event? Competing in the world championship in Hawaii is the dream of many age-groupers.

I know that course is tough! I rode just one loop on it about 8 months after my operation, and I was just about done for the day! No hills where I live, so training is a challenge. I am going to try to visit LP in May so I can do another test ride.

If you should be in LP this summer, shout at me as I stagger by - I'm the skinny, middle-aged slow guy ;)

[PJmomrunner]

Hi PJ - I have also made several trips to LP over the past years. My first visit was part of a cycling tour in 1998. Since then, I've taken my family back several times for vacation, and watched a couple of Ironman events while visiting.

Your friend apparently earned a qualifying slot for Kona -- did he also do that event? Competing in the world championship in Hawaii is the dream of many age-groupers.

I know that course is tough! I rode just one loop on it about 8 months after my operation, and I was just about done for the day! No hills where I live, so training is a challenge. I am going to try to visit LP in May so I can do another test ride.

If you should be in LP this summer, shout at me as I stagger by - I'm the skinny, middle-aged slow guy ;)

Hey Bill!

Yes, my friend did go to Kona. It was his dream. He did well, but not as well as at LP. I guess there were record headwinds and heat--many more than usual dropped out altogether at Kona 2004.

I will be in LP for the first two weeks of August, so I'll miss you, but I will check in on you online and I'll be cheering you long distance!

Train on!

P. J.

[PJmomrunner]

Bill-

I just found out my friend is doing LP again. You two should hook up.

P. J.

[tommy]

Bill,

Thinking about you. let us know how you are doing (when you have the time :) ).

[BillCobit]

Bill,

Thinking about you. let us know how you are doing (when you have the time :) ).

Thanks, Tom! Russell also inquired about a week ago.


Doing OK, Russell.

I took a trip to Lake Placid at end of April to ride the bike course. It was windy and cold, and I was sloooooooow. I rode 1.5 loops of the 2 loop course at a pace that would get me DNF'd on race day. But it was very early in the season, and I was not in good form at that point. Still, if I could have achieved adequate pace while not yet in shape, it would have relieved my anxiety a bit. My knees were bothering me for a while after all the climbing, but I seem to have worked through that. I'm continuing to make the bike my training priority.

I'm also happy to report that I haven't injured anything yet, nor have I fallen asleep at my desk so far.

Just a little over 9 weeks to go!


I'm improving on the bike, and hoping it's enough (I have no more opportunitites to gauge myself on the actual course before the race). I believe I'm the slowest of the valvathoners - but if I make the 5:30 PM bike course cutoff, that provides 6.5 hours for the marathon before the midnight race completion cutoff. I PLAN to do a lot of walking, so I've been substituting some power walking in place of my usual "achy-breaky shuffle."

Sometimes I feel I can pull this off, other times I remind myself that I've sometimes been DEAD LAST in my age group at local short-course tri's. I counter that by reminding myself that I've done a couple of tough halves and a 3/4 distance race. Then I go look at the web photo gallery:
http://www.ironmanusa.com/ImageGallery/images_2004/usa2004.php
That mental/visual ritual creates a neurochemical stew in my veins that wipes out feelings of fatigue and sleep deprivation -- and replaces them w/ fear and inspiration that powers me through another workout. (I'm a sick, sick man!)

How have YOU been? I was just talking to my trophy wife about you the other day - how you had been a post-op running/weight-losing machine, but then had been tragically sidelined by PF. Are you getting better? You've been one of my "Active Lifestyles" heroes -- and I am looking forward to a report on a 4:15 marathon from you. Will that be any time soon?

[MarkU]

Bill,

Awesome pictures from last year's race. The water looked cold - glad I'm here in FL.

I admire your commitment to your goals. The volume of training required to do an Ironman is staggering. I'm finding that I have to be careful to rest and not overtrain, even for the sprint events that I do. It's tough balancing the three events. For the last month or so I've been focusing on my running and biking and have let the swim slide a bit. Need to get out to the beach for some open water practice. I'm sure as soon as I start watching this year's Tour de France on TV I'll want to be on my bike all the time...

Finishing last in your age group in races is something I am all too familiar with also. But to borrow a saying from one of the triathlon forums: "DFL beats DNF beats DNS"

It's the journey, not the destination...

[PapaHappyStar]

Bill - I am at six-months post-op today and feel pretty good, and I want to thank you ( and all active lifestylers here -- infact while I'm doing the thanking might as well thank everyone here ) for your great attitude its made a better person of me post VR.

All the best for your event. Great photos...

Burair

[Mary]

Bill,
It appears that you are about 7 weeks away from race day. I checked out the pictures you posted, and they are motivational!
Is this the 31st week of training? If so, it looks like a tough one. Stay strong.
Mary

[MitralMan]

I ran my first marathon in 2001 -- to do an IronMan is so far beyond a marathon it makes my head spin! You are my idol!

[Mark Wagner]

Congratulations Bill! It is an amazing goal and accomplishment. I am in awe of anyone who can tackle the Ironman. Your an inspiration to all. Keep at it. Just remember, one day at a time.

Mark

[BillCobit]

If biking is your weakest link, train on biking. My friend (who won is age group) felt he had underestimated the difficulty of the hills. Good Luck!

My big unknown -- can I do two loops on this monster within the allotted time?

I have followed your advice, PJ, & trained on the bike as well as a flat-lander w/ a weak engine can. Last week and this week I have done very little exercise, consistent with the prep plan. I know I need to rest up, but it's hard to just lay around. The reality of the situation is that by now I'm either ready or I'm not, and I'm not sure which one I am!!

I'm a little "fatter" than I planned to be for the race (175# at 6'2" - it's all relative), and I'm hoping that a few extra(?) pounds don't hurt my climbing too badly.

Best of luck to your friend, PJ - he is truly a world-class age-group athlete. I will introduce myself if I encounter him in LP.

http://members.aol.com/teampumphead/bikeloop.jpg