Bora Bora....

Running the Coast Line in Bora Bora....

Sunday, December 27, 2009

2009 A YEAR END REVIEW

As 2009 comes to an end I thought I would take some time to reflect back on the year and document the various events that I competed in as follows:

TRIATHLONS
GULF COAST IM 70.3 5:45 VERY HOT DAY - EASY COURSE - WINDS - TRAINING DAY

IM CDA 140.6 12:32 VERY COLD DAY - TOUGH COURSE - HILLS - SUFFERED

MUSKOKA IM 70.3 5:35 IDEAL WEATHER - TOUGH COURSE - HILLS - RACED HARD

LONGHORN IM 70.3 5:19 HOT - HILLY - HORRIBLE ROADS - RACED HARD

FALL CREEK FALLS OLY 2:40 HOT - NO WETSUIT - TRAINING DAY

MCMNVILLE SPRINT 1:15 PLACED THIRD - NEEDED 1:10 TO PLACE FIRST

RUNNING RACES
MUSIC CITY 1/2 MARATHON 1:38 - GREAT WEATHER - DECENT RACE

FRANKLIN 10K 42:02 - 4TH PLACE 6:47 - LATE START CROWDED - RAN 5K WITH JT

FIRECRACKER 5K 19:13- 3RD PLACE OVERALL - 1ST PLACE AGE GROUP - 6:13 PACE

SUSAN G KOMAN 5K 19:22 - 1ST PLACE AGE GROUP - 6:15 PACE

Overall it was a respectable year. The focus was more on volume in 2009 than times/race results. Why? 2009 was about getting in as many races as I could without injury so I could gain experience. There simply is no substitute for experience. So the question is then - what did I learn in 2009?

1. Never enter a 140.6 IM completely 100% mentally prepared or you will suffer
2. Training is about focus, not volume and hours , but the quality of training
3. You are only as strong as your weakest link - an injury is caused by an imbalance - somewhere....
4. Listen to your body
5. Mental toughness can compensate for physical conditioning on race day
6. Physical conditioning cannot compensate for a weak mind
7. Be disciplined, have balance and most of all have fun!!

2010 should be a great year. I'm looking forward to training hard for IM Lanzarote which I must finish in under 11:39 for a PR. They say that your goal should be to simply finish a 140.6 IM event. That's simply bad MOJO and a defeatest attitude. So a PR in Lanzarote and a sub 5 hour Syracuse 70.3 is the goal for 2010.

Also, in 2010 I plan on working with Jack to advance him mentally and physically in the sport of triathlon. I've gotten him signed up for the Excel swim team. He's got great natural talent. At 11 years of age the trick is to teach the mental discipline and determination. He placed 3rd or higher in every event entered in 2009, without much training. He's got potential and I intend to develop it.

As the sun sets on 2009 it rises for 2010. Cheers!

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Put on your big boy pants!!!

With just 5 weeks to go Team TotalPrint is focusing on Austin IM 70.3. Team Vaco should be worried - to say the very least. Greg is dialing in on his game and looking strong. Will had a great showing in Canada and gaining momentum as he approaches the last race of the season. Myself, very very focused on a new PR and catching Waller on the run - this will be a challenge but very doable.
More to Follow...........

The Old Bull Walks Down the Hill In Canada



The alarm clock went off at 5:00AM. Will & I were fairly well organized the night before in preparation for a very challenging course in Huntsville Canada.

On Saturday afternoon we drove the bike and run course and were humbled by the number of hills on both the bike and run course. We scaled back our expectations for the day and determined a sub 3 hour bike would be a "win" and a sub 2 hour run would be an even bigger win. After a grueling bike the big question is .....what's left in the tank for the run as our legs were certain to be shredded by the hills of Muskoka! Scouting out the bike and run course proved to be invaluable as we now had our minds around the difficult day ahead of us - a MUST DO for every event - without exception.

We fueled up on Saturday afternoon at a local italian restaurant on pasta and that evening with more pasta and lots of H2O. In the town of Dorset a pralines and cream large single scoop of ice cream was in order while Will made friends with the locals, who would later greet and cheer him on as he raced through the village, across the single lane bridge. A little shopping was in order as we collected some souvenirs and supported the local economy.

The water temperatures were tested out on both Friday and Saturday evening as we chased the sun down in the crystal clear waters of Peninsula Lake - a balmy 68F. On Saturday evening we threw our lines in the water with spoons, jigs and top water bait being the menu du jour for our scaley little aquatic friends. Will got skunked while I managed to land a rock bass - foreshadowing the 70.3 race results that were to materialize within the next 18 hours..........

IM 70.3 Canada was actually the first event that I would actually "Race". Will decided to do a little trash talking in the weeks leading up to the event, which provided a much needed focus for the race. The morning of the race Will's wave would start 6 minutes before my wave. Being a stronger swimmer I knew that he would gain at least 5 minutes on me during the swim, which meant I would need to make up at least 11 minutes in order to catch him. There is a saying in the Ironman events......"It's all about the RUN!!", which I am painfully familiar with. The run crushed me at Gulf Shores 70.3, Busselton and Coeur D'alene, so I focused on the run leading up to Canada.

As Will and I stood on the shores of Peninsula Lake anxiously awaiting the start of the race I decided to get into the head of the "Young Bull". Knowing that he'd pick up time on the swim I reminded him of not pushing it too hard on the bike so he had legs for the run. He was then reminded that his worst nightmare would be seeing me coming in off of the bike as he was headed out on the run. Simply put, this would mean that I'd have successfully closed the 11 minute gap that he had generated on the swim and earlier start and that catching him on the run would be inevitable. My prediction was that by mile 8 I would run his ass down. Fortunately I was wrong as I caught him at mile 5.5 :)-

The swim was, well the swim. The course seemed longer than 1.2 miles. The bike was actually 58.5 miles and the run was nothing short of .....a bitch! The sun hid behind the clouds for most of the day and a slight breeze was welcome on the run.

When I crossed the finish line at 5:35:08 (in 317th place overall) I had no gas left in the tank. Usually as you enter the finishers shoot euphoria fills your legs and you feel like you could run forever. But on this day and for this race there was no euphoria, just relief that a PR was in order. After stumbling around in a daze for about 8 minutes Will's name was announced as he approached the finish line - he didn't look as bad as I felt. This goes to the heart of Ironman, it's all about what is between the ears and raw determination. There is no question that Will could have beat me in Canada, but focus and determination comes with experience. Will crossed the finish line at 5:49:38 and finished 454th and bagged a PR as well. It was a great day and a great race.

Post race we shared lunch with Stacey Richardson (and her husband Peter) a 37 year old recently gone pro. As we shared our stories for the day we inhaled pizza and soda which never tasted so damn good! That evening we went out to a local steak house - 3 Guys and a Stove - for a juicy steak and a good bottle of wine. We rested well and hit the road in the morning for Buffalo to catch our flight back.

Before getting on our flight we stopped at the birth place of the Chicken Wing, THE ANCHOR BAR, for 20 hot wings and a few beers. Will gulped down a couple of Genesee Cream Ales, aka Genesee Scream Ales for the effect that it has on your digestive process :). I had several Molson Ice Beers - not a beer that you can find at your local Publix in TN.

This was a great weekend and we now have our sights set on IM Austin 70.3. There is no doubt that we will each PR at this race. Sub 5............?

Cheers!

Friday, September 4, 2009

9 days out till IM CANADA 70.3


With just 9 days till IM CANADA 70.3 the training continues. Last weekend raced in a sprint distance triathlon in McMinville, TN. Over decent performance on a somewhat challenging course. The swim was 450M, the bike 15 miles and the a 5k run. The run was my bright spot with a sub 7 minute mile on a very hilly course. Really focused hard on the run and finished strong.

Looking for a repeat strong mental performance in Canada next week .........we'll see. I'm not in peak physical condition but not in bad shape either. The real race that I'm dialing in on is Austin 70.3 in October. The bet is on and Team TotalPrint has challenged Team Vaco for a total time.....I'm certain that we'll take home the victory cup!!!


Sunday, August 23, 2009

Ironman 70.3 Canada September 13, 2009


IM Canada 70.3 is 3 weeks away..........should be a great event. Just booked a lake cottage in Huntsville Ontario today - flying into Buffalo NY and driving 4 hours north.
The weather is expected to be hit or miss - September is an "iffy" time of the year in Canada. Wetsuits are a must as the water temps will be lucky to be in the 60's. The swim course is a one loop course with a wave start. Goal is to get out of the water in 32 minutes and out of transition by 37 minutes.

The bike course is a rolling hills course - which Coeur D'alene has prepared me for. Rolling hills are a bit of a challenge as you can never gain a consistent pace on the bike and it causes you to suffer and burn more glycogen than you'd expect - so fueling fueling and pace on the bike become important to a strong run.

The run doesn't appear to be too bad - but it's all relative - especially if you've hit it hard on the bike.

So what is the goal for the day..... a simple PR would be nice.....which means I need to be across the finish line in under 5:40:00.....my Gulf Shores 70.3 time.

Feeling confident right now....more to follow!

Sunday, July 5, 2009

July 4th Music City 5K


Jackson & I ran our first 5K together yesterday in downtown Nashville. We ran with David and Hayden Young, the sandbagger, along with Logan, one of their friends. It was a nice overcast morning, however the air was thick and heavy with humidity.
Overall results were as follows:
Jackson Theodore ran a 31:11 averaging 10:04 Minute/Mile and placed 8th out of 14 kids in his category and 117th out of 297 overall participants.  Jack needs lots of work on his endurance.  I had him up this morning running 2 miles at an average pace of a 13 minute mile - not very good - so I need to be running with him to push him.  Lots of room for improvement on the mental toughness - but a 10 years of age - there is plenty of time to work on it.
Hayden Young finished with an impressive time of 23:15 averaging 7:30 Minute/Mile - a sandbagging little turd!  He placed 4th in his age group and a very impressive 21st overall.  I made a hasty wager with Hayden prior to the race - betting him that he couldn't finish in under 25 minutes - well after puking off of the James Robertson bridge (a technical DQ) he managed to come in under 25 minutes.
Big Daddy Young was able to muster up a 32:16, yes that's correct this is not a typo, 32:16 or approximately 9 minutes behind his 14 year old son.  David placed 136th overall with a photo finish with the remaining 162 people that he narrowly beat with one leg, blind or were drunk.  Chalk one up for the old man!!
Last, but certainly not least, Yours Truly was able to place 3rd overall for the day and win the coveted podium spot with a time of 19:13 or 6:12 minute/mile pace. Average HR was 185 BPM, anaerobic the entire time - but only for 19 minutes.  Needless to say, it wasn't a stroll in the park for me but an all out sprint.  A little disappointed that I was unable to sustain a sub 6 minute mile pace....next race!!
The course was surprisingly hilly which got the ticker pumping and the calf's and quads wide awake.  It was a fun morning, followed up with a 20 mile bike ride and a poolside cook out with the Youngs, Duceys, Sutton, Goobs, Freddy & Brenda, Grandma & Papa and of course our clan.  After having lots of food and a little wine David & I lit up the sky with fireworks.
A great day to celebrate our independence.........Cheers!!

Sunday, June 28, 2009

The Training Begins Again..........

After taking exactly six days off from IM CDA I began my training regimen today.  I rode an easy 25 miles on the bike out to route 96 and averaged about 18.4 MPH in 93F+ heat at 3PM CST.  Post bike ride I bricked a 2 mile run in the neighborhood.  Overall felt pretty good.  Very pleased that I sustained no injuries during IM CDA.  Gotta get up at 4AM CST to catch a flight to Denver CO for the week and return on Friday AM.

My training is going to be focused on building on my base endurance along with speed work in all three areas.  I learned in CDA that I need to train harder and be focused, albeit difficult with work and travel schedule.  

For dinner scarfed down sockeye salmon with rice and broccoli at the poolside.  My weight is averaging about 176LBS despite eating everything that I could this past week.  My metabolism is still burning calories from IMCDA.

Looking forward to next event(s) - not burned out at all and anxious to sign up for IM Florida on November 7, 2009 - which leaves me about 130 days out - so better get my game plan organized........

Monday, June 22, 2009

IMCDA RACE REVIEW


Where to begin.......I guess I should start with my training leading up to the race.....what I woulda-coulda-shoulda done.....but the fact is that I trained well and was prepared for what Coeur d'Alene had in store for me....or at least that's what I thought. This is an important point because in an Ironman it's all between the ears and on this race day I experienced a real mind bender.

The Swim - 1:26
Going into the race I was most concerned about the temperature of the water(which ended up being perfect at 65F).  Having experienced two mass swim starts I wasn't concerned about the melee that begins the race.  I knew that I would go anaerobic for the first 15 minutes and it would take me the first 30 minutes before my heart rate would settle back down, which it did. What I didn't think about was the wind and choppy water that created a top current on the water.  Why is this important? Well...because if you line up to the left on the beach and the current is right to left, then you end up fighting the current and wasting lots of energy - like I did - very amateur.  The water "chop" was more like thousands of mini-rogue waves which caused me to swallow quite a bit of lake water and more importantly took me out of any rhythm that I was trying to maintain.   So I resorted back to brute forcing it through the swim, nothing new for me.  Overall time of 1:26 for 2.4 miles is on the fringes of respectable and in line with my expectation for this leg of the race.

The Bike - 6:11
Fortunately we drove the bike course the day prior to the race so I had reset my expectations for this leg of the race.  There were four hills dubbed "Legs of Zeus", which in a two loop course for you mathematicians is a pleasurable eight, that lived up to its name.  I only came out of my saddle once though, knowing that it would save energy and be more efficient, which it proved to be.  The hills of Coeur D'alene are both slow and fast.  My top speeds on the descents reached 47 MPH with twists and turns very very cool if you've got the guts to hit.  The only problem is that there are two thousand other cyclists on the road and an occasional car.  On loop two I was hitting 45 MPH when a fellow racer weaved, as we approach the bottom of a hill turn, causing me to do a little off road biking skidding into a lane of pea gravel that is designed to stop runaway trucks on steep hills.  Fortunately I maintained my composure - not sure how - but averted potentially a pretty ugly situation.

I was forced to stop three times on the bike, twice for my chain getting derailed and once to relieve myself of the gallon of lake water I ingested during the swim.  Throughout the bike course I took in about 200 calories per hour and stayed pretty well hydrated.  In all other races I took in about 325 calories per hour, which is what I should've done because I paid for it on the start of the run.  I must say that there is nothing remotely fun bout being on a bike for 6:11. Averaging about 18.1MPH over the 112 mile course was in line with my revised expectations. So far I'm executing the plan, not realizing how much the bike course had taken out of me.  

The Run - 4:40
Before I talk about the run - can I say again just how happy I am at this moment that I'm off of that damn bike??!!

The run.......it's been said the Ironman is "all about the run".  Whoever said this, has more than likely experienced the highs and lows of the 26.2 mile marathon after shredding their legs on a challenging 112 mile bike course.  Well this IM proved no different.  It was all about the run, but to be more specific about IMCDA, it was all about the run in low 50's with heaving winds and driving rain as you ran along the unprotected shores of Lake Coeur D'alene.  Pre-race some lady told me to enjoy the beauty of this course today and "take it all in".  If I could've have found her on the run course I would've thrown her ass into the Lake and let her "take it all in". My hands were numb and the majority of the racers put on thin protective silver heat blankets that were being handed out to all of the runners.

During the first 6 miles of the run I had a new experience.  If you've ever read a book before going to bed and your get really really tired and fight to keep you eyes open but fall asleep - that is what I experienced at the beginning of the run.  At about 3 miles into the run I began running irregularly and fellow racer asked me if I was ok and I said "not really".  What's interesting about this, is that when this happening to you, your mind fights it and you keep pushing forward knowing that you're in trouble and believing that you can work through it, if only you just keep moving.   I came upon a guy with "50" on his calf walking as we approached an aid station. I slowed down to walk with him and learned that he had a golden retriever, originally from northern California and  worked at the local sheriff's office.  During our 10 minute chat and walk I consumed a gu pack, a cup of water, some electrolytes, sugar cookies and some hot chicken broth which the combination of everything got my mind and legs back under me.  In hindsight what I was most likely experiencing was what happens frequently to diabetics before they go into shock which is a glycogen deficiency.  Suffice to say, stopping and getting some sodium and glycogen proved to be one of the more intelligent things I did on race day.

It was a very very long run that was physically & mentally challenging.  At mile 20 I looked at my watch and realized that I was 11:30 into the race and in jeopardy of not beating my IM Brazil time of 12:39.  At this juncture I dialed it in and ran, not stopping at any aid station till I was 1 mile from the finish line and grabbed 2 cups of coke and some more cookies.  I had to have energy when I finished and appear not to have gotten my ass handed to me in Coeur D'alene.  The last 7 blocks of the race are down hill and lined with spectators, despite the cold and rainy weather.  It always amazes me how you feel when the endorphins and adrenaline kick in as you run down the finishing chute and cross the finish line.  At this point you've forgotten about all of the water that you took in during the swim, the "Legs of Zeus" hills on the bike ride, the wet & windy freezing cold run and know just one thing you've completed 140.6 Ironman distance event.  

I've been told many times by a good friend that ".....it's not the destination Phil, it's all about the journey".  On this day I would argue this point it because today it was all about the destination.  

Overall - 12:31
Not my best time, however if you were to "weight" the courses that I've completed, CDA is by far the most challenging course in the most challenging conditions.  So I'm declaring victory - the course almost got me early in the run - but didn't - in the end I beat it and walked away from the event feeling pretty good.  The venue was beautiful and the fans great, however it'll take some time for me to ever want to do this course again.  A great experience and one that I will not forget............at least until the next IM event........TBD.

PUT THIS ONE IN THE RECORD BOOKS

SWIMBIKERUNOVERALLRANKDIV.POS.
1:26:096:11:094:40:2712:31:03901176

LEGDISTANCEPACERANKDIV.POS.
SWIM SPLIT 1: 1.2 mi1.2 mi (40:59)2:09/100m
SWIM SPLIT 2: 2.4 mi1.2 mi (45:10)2:22/100m
TOTAL SWIM: 2.4 mi2.4 mi (1:26:09)2:16/100m1410258

BIKE SPLIT 1: 34 mi34 mi. (1:48:54)18.73 mph
BIKE SPLIT 2: 90 mi56 mi. (3:07:03)17.96 mph
BIKE SPLIT 3: 112 mi22 mi. (1:15:12)17.55 mph
TOTAL BIKE: 112 mi112 mi. (6:11:09)18.11 mph944185

RUN SPLIT 1: 7.47 mi7.47 mi (1:23:08)11:07/mi
RUN SPLIT 2: 21.75 mi14.28 mi (2:25:47)10:12/mi
RUN SPLIT 3: 26.2 mi4.25 mi (51:32)12:07/mi
TOTAL RUN26.2 mi. (4:40:27)10:42/mile901176
  
TRANSITIONTIME
T1: SWIM-TO-BIKE7:38
T2: BIKE-TO-RUN5:40
  

Saturday, June 20, 2009

IM CDA Course Review



Well...........I'm thinking that I need to be recalculating my estimated finish time.  We drove both the run and bike course this evening and this course is by far the most challenging course that I've attempted thus far.   Climbing hills is not my strength - going down them is however :)...... unfortunately its a fairly technical course so the downhill portions of the course are filled with turns which prevents one from "bombing" the descents.  The bottom line is that I'll be lucky to average 18MPH.....very lucky......which means that my bike time will most likely exceed 6 hours.......thinking 6:15...........and that's a long time.

Enough whining ...........time for bed and gotta listen to Rocky.....Eye of the Tiger.....just kidding.....watching Mall Cop with the kids in the hotel room.

Gotta be up at 4AM PST......Happy Father's Day!

15 hours till IM CDA 2009


The weather here today is picture perfect, 70F partly cloudy with a slight breeze.  All of the gear has been dropped off at the bike and run transition areas.  I was able to get in a very short bike ride and 30 minute swim in Lake Coeur D'Alene.  The water temps remain a little chilly but not too bad at 63-65F.

Started carbo loading last night and continued today as well as hydrating.  During the race the average person burns in excess of 10,000 calories which is the equivalent to eating a 25 pound Thanksgiving turkey.  During the race I will consume 200 calories per hour or about 2,000 calories in total - creating an 8,000 calorie deficit.  Suffice to say I will be hungry post race.

The kids made signs today at the Janus Funds tent to have during the race.  We have yet to drive the course but plan on doing so in the next hour.  The general  consensus is that the bike course is a bear - lots of hills and technical turns - we see it soon.

Will have one last blog before the race..........

Arrived in Coeur D'Alene Today


Today started at 4:15am CST in Nashville.  The whole family departed Nashville on a 7:00am flight to Spokane, WA via Las Vegas.  We arrived on time in Spokane at 12:30pm PST and rented a car and drove about 35 miles east to CDA.  When we arrived it was a balmy 59F and raining - reminded us of Upstate NY.

After checking into our hotel we made it down to the IM village to register, pick up gear and do a little shopping.  Afterwards we grabbed lunch, hit the local grocery store to get some snack for the room and then made our way back to the hotel.

I dropped off the gang and grabbed my wetsuit and headed back to Lake Coeur D'Alene to "test the waters".  The lake is beautiful with a back drop of hills/mountains covered in a lush landscape of evergreens.  After wrestling on my suit and cap I entered the water, just as the sun peeked through the clouds.  As expected the water was chilly at about 63-65F, not too bad.  I swam for about 15 minutes to simply get acclimated to the cool water.  The lake is very clear and the water actually tastes good.

At 6:15 ish I made my way over to the athlete dinner and meeting to review the rules for Sunday.  The typical stuff, no drafting, no littering, no urinating in the neighbors yards, etc-nothing too exciting the usual do's and dont's.

Got back to the hotel where the family was watching a movie and i proceeded to put my bike together and get my gear all organized to make Saturday a relaxing peaceful day - which is needed.  Having the family at an event like this is fun but challenging because you really have to focus and get prepared mentally as well as getting all of your gear, transition bags, bike, etc organized in advance of race day.

The weather for Sunday is suppose to be in the high 40's to start the race and climb throughout the day to 62F with rain showers.  May sound a little daunting but this is actually decent temperatures for and IM - only without the rain.

Enough rambling for today -getting excited and looking forward to a relaxing day tomorrow.

More to follow........

Monday, June 15, 2009

5 DAYS..............GETTING ANXIOUS

No work out today ........... unless you count an hour and half massage session.  I'm headed out in the morning for Florida business trip then back out to Denver for meetings - will get in a short run tomorrow night and light core workout.  

My BIB# is 224 .......... A nice low number.  On race day you can sign onto www.ironman.com  website and track my progress by using this BIB#.  Believe it or not there is another Philip Theodore in the race - and you all thought that they broke the mold after me.  For the observant few - this guy is an imposter as his name is spelled with only one "L" - so don't be confused it's Phillip Theodore BIB#224.......... and yes I will stand up.



Sunday, June 14, 2009

COUNTDOWN BEGINS.....6 DAYS TILL IMCDA!!!


Well as can be expected the weather for IMCDA next Sunday has changed - so I'm going to stop reporting on it and thinking about it.  

I got in my last "long" ride today......rode out to the farm which is exactly 56 miles door to door. Met the family for a barbeque and then drove back to Brentwood.  The ride was very hilly - typical of middle Tennessee - a great last prep ride for the race next weekend.  Averaged 18.7MPH - which equates to a 5 hour 54 minute time for 112 miles - which I'm not certain that I can sustain if the course is as hilly as todays and still have 26.2 miles left in my legs....that's the beauty of the IM.

Packed my bike - got new wheels and a tune up and it's looking and feeling fine.  Having a slight issue with my seat post clamp but crossing my fingers that it lasts thru this race - otherwise I'm in big trouble on the bike.

Got a busy week - but getting my 8 hours of sleep................signing off....for now.


Saturday, June 13, 2009

IMCDA 2009 ONE WEEK TO GO........


Weather forecast is calling for a 60% chance of rain with a low of 52F and high of 75F.  Current water temp is 59F -Brrrrrr Chilleeeeee!!!  Got my wetsuit and neoprene cap in tow and ready to hit it hard.  A mass start at 7AM PST - a rush that can only be experienced to understand.

Training for IMCDA included 2 century bike rides (5:00:00ish), the Music City Half Marathon (1:41:00), Half Ironman at Gulf Coast Panama City Beach (5:41:00) and many many many days that started at 4:30AM.

Weight ranges from 175lbs - 178lbs - which is a good zone for me to enter an IM.  IMWA entered race at 173lbs and suffered late in the run.

Last 7 days will be focusing on rest, rest and more rest.  Very little training - no more than an hour a day to stay sharp and maintain muscle memory and my sanity.  Also, just want to be healthy entering the race.  During 5 months of training I experienced problems with my arches, achilles and IT bands - but kept it all under control and feeling good about the race.

I will drop in a link to the IM website on race day so race results can be tracked.  Goal is simple........beat my IMWA PR of 11:39:00.  IMCDA is an entirely different course with lots of hills on the bike - which I've been training for - so we'll see.

My prediction is as follows:

1:25:00 - 1:35:00      2.4M Swim & T1
5:50:00 - 6:00:00    112M Bike & T2 and...
4:00:00 - 4:15:00    26.2M Marathon

11:15:00 - 11:50:00  Total

More to follow..............