going public

Did you notice I avoided mentioning any talk of New Year's Resolutions, goals for the season, hopes, wishes, dreams? That's because I don't have any. Well not really.

This year, for the first time since 2000, I am not signed up for an Ironman. Nor will I jump into one via charity slot or because Ironman Louisville is still not full. I'm not doing an "iron-distance" race either. Are you so proud of me? You should be! It takes a lot to get out of ruts, even if they are the type that test your strength, perseverance, and will to live regularly. Just kidding about that last one.


I actually love Ironman training. Part of my love stems from the way I can eat everything in the kitchen completely guiltlessly after a 6 hour ride/40 min run brick. But I also love the time with the training buddies. You really get to know somebody when you spend 5 or 6 hours together and go through all types of potentially ugly situations. There are bonks, thunderstorms, multiple flat tires, and lung-searing intervals. Did I mention bonks? It's also a chance to be somewhat social when all you do is sleep, eat, train, work, eat, train, eat, and sleep.

After the lackluster 2009 season, I decided that my body may be asking for a break. So I'm taking off from Ironman training for at least a year. But I'm not taking a complete break. I plan on racing short distances and maybe actually training for them. Once, back in college, I think it was junior year, my track coach suddenly one day decided that I was a middle distance runner. I think he discovered that we had nobody else on the entire girls' team willing to run the 800 or 1500m races, and since I had big quads, then surely I had some speed. So he sent me to run with the middle distance guys (since, like I said, no other girls were mid-distance). I did end up racing those distances that year and the following one. I wasn't completely terrible for a Division 3 female 1500m runner-- I think I got like 4th at conference one year-- but I was terrible at the 800. As I recall, the 1500 came at the beginning of the meet, and the 800 was at the end. My first 800 of the 1500 was usually right about the same speed as my flat out 800, if that tells you anything. Apparently my top-end speed is not particularly fast, but on the plus side, it's one I could maintain for almost a mile. 

The point of this is that I'm a little afraid of the short distance triathlon racing. What if my top end racing speed in a triathlon is my half ironman pace? One year from Gulf Coast to Ironman Florida I exactly doubled my time: 5:23 to 10:46. I know conditions are different and all, but still, it makes me wonder. But then again, if someone saw potential speed in these quads, maybe I have hope? 

In past years, since I've not trained specifically for short distance, I had my built in excuse for slowness. Not this year; it's time for public statements of goals. And what better place to start going public than to my blog's 3 readers? And now that THAT's out there, it's time for a run.