For the past eight months, I’ve been writing a blog for IRONMAN.com about training for my first full distance triathlon.
Well, having just completed IRONMAN Florida last month, it’s time for the conclusion of this series!
Here’s an excerpt:
Lesson #1: Take your time and make sure you have everything you need in transition. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Be efficient, but don’t rush.
In the months leading up to the race, something that I’d been hearing on repeat from my coaches and friends who had done an IRONMAN before was something to the effect of, “It’s a long day. Things are going to happen. Be prepared, be able to adjust, and move on.” The first weird thing happened right as I got on the bike. A yellow jacket flew out of the bushes, landed on my right quad, and stung hard. My leg was sore and swollen until about mile 50, but there was nothing to do but ignore the sensation and move on.
Overall, the road conditions were pretty excellent, and I was surprised that the bike course didn’t have more hills. However, there were plenty of false flats that are easy to override unless you’re paying attention to your power meter.
TIP: To stay on top of my nutrition, I taped a sticky note to my top tube that has the time markers for when I need to be done with each bottle of nutrition. My schedule was 1:10, 2:20, 3:30, 4:40, and 5:50, stopping carbs around mile 106.
Click here to read Becoming One VIII- 5 Lessons Learned at My First Full IRONMAN.
