Goals.

I am going to basically plagerize another guy's blog. He said it perfectly.

Today is May 27, almost exactly six months from Ironman Cozumel on November 29, 2009 I don't officially start my training plan until June 15, but my base preparation is well underway. So far, I know I can do each of the sports individually...at a relaxed pace. Once the training begins, I will work on increasing speed (which is hard for me because I loooove a relaxed pace!) combining the three events. Here is what the next six months have in store for me:

150 miles of swimming
3,000 miles of biking
1,000 miles of running

I'm terrified.

RACE GOALS(this is plagerized from Triathlete Magazine and this guy, who I'm sure plagerized it from Triathlete Magazine):

1) Finish
2) Finish while still standing
3) Finish while still standing and smiling
4) Finish while still standing and smiling and without a trip to the medical tent
5) Finish while still standing and smiling and without a trip to the medical tent and remaining grainfully employed
6) Finish while still standing and smiling and without a trip to the medical tent and remaining grainfully employed and married.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a time goal. I do. I think it is reasonable to finish in under 15 hours. I think that if I can make myself train hard, I can do it in under 13 hours. I also think that if I cross that finish line in 16:59:59 I will be the happiest person in the world. The time is negligible...getting to that starting line knowing that I've done all that I could is the goal. The race will take me where it wants. It's out of my control at that point.

Six months from today I will be yet another person, someone I can’t quite visualize. The person who has done everything in those goals. The person who will swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and then run a marathon. In one day. Non-stop. I cannot control what happens on race day so I have goals and milestones for incremental success along the way. Six months from today I want to wake up feeling like I’ve already accomplished more than I expected.

The race should be the icing on the training cake.

An IRONCAKE.