With less than 2 1/2 weeks until Ironman 70.3 Syracuse, things are getting interesting on the training front and I would be lying to you if I said I wasn't nervous. This is the first race I am trying to reach a real goal since each time before, I was trying to improve my time or simply finish. Now, I am trying to qualify for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Las Vegas on September 9, 2013.
In my previous race, I did way better than expected breaking 5 hours (4:59:57, not a typo, it was that close) at the Bassman Half Ironman in Tuckerton, NJ. It was a complete shock but reviewing the details of the race, the feeling of reaching an elite goal ( I consider breaking 5 hours Elite at the half ironman distance) is starting to slip. The race had perfect weather: cloudy, barely any wind, 60 degrees and the course was entirely flat. I know that term, entirely flat, can be exaggerated, but I am telling you, it was flat as a pancake. It was built for personal bests. Still, I am elated I broke 5 hours ahead of schedule because I would like to break 5 at Syracuse, but after doing a training bike ride and run with my good friends Tom (@TomHolowka) and Jason (@SBRTriathlon), it is going to be tough. On top of that, I have felt I haven't improved at all since Bassman (Race was on May 5) which is a big issue because Syracuse is hillier than the elevation charts represent. This is going to be tougher than initially anticipated. I am confident I will perform well but I am not where I need to be. I need to break through but feel I am going through a mental block. I went through this in high school with track and cross country and it got me nowhere. I just need to put in the work and push myself to the next level.
I am not trying to make any excuses because I know I train hard but it has only gotten me to this point, which would satisfy most. However, I expect more of myself and want to be close to a professional level.
No comments:
Post a Comment