I guess I don't really have a good answer for this. I'm doing it because some of my teammates are doing it (I train with a great coach, Craig Howie). I'm doing it because I'm constantly sending him training updates and how is this much different. I'm doing it because it's a much easier format for me to see my ups and downs as well as my progress.
A little bit about me...
I've been doing triathlons for about 6 years now. Last November, I became an Ironman. It was an incredible experience and accomplishment. While my goals for this year are not quite as grandiose, they are still tough goals and will be a challenge to achieve. My biggest goal this year is to get faster on the bike. The bike and I do not get along very well. Maybe it stems from my first learning to ride a bike.
When I was little, let's just say I was accident-prone. We spent a lot of time at Children's Hospital dealing with broken bones and sprains and such. Nothing serious, but enough to make my mother not want me to learn how to ride a bike. I was visiting my dad one summer, I believe when I was about 8. We lived across the street from an elementary school. One weekend, they had a "learn to ride a bike" class for kids where you would learn to ride and walk away with a certificate. My dad asked if I wanted to go. I told him that I wasn't allowed to ride bikes yet. He said "That's not what I asked you." And so I went against my mom's wishes, and apparently some higher power, and learned how to ride a bike. It has been an uphill battle ever since. I am not confident on the bike. I am not comfortable on the bike. I don't like the fact that a machine, albeit a very nice and expensive one, seems to be more in control. I don't like the fact that I have to rely on said machine to get me through a race or workout. And let's not mention the fact that drivers are crazy, so you're really putting your life on the line over and over again. Here in Boulder, there was yet another tragic death of a cyclist over the weekend. At times, I can be terrified of the bike.
So, that being said, overcoming some of this and getting faster is my big goal for the year. I'm a tiny person and I have a tiny bike, and I don't seem to generate a lot of power, so speed is definitely not my forte. In the lab, my results seem great - I have a decent power to weight ratio. But this never seems to apply on the open road. I got a new tri-bike last year and still have yet to beat my fastest bike time (3 years ago during the 5430 Sprint), which was on a bike that I had been told repeatedly was not efficient. In fact, the reason I got a new bike was because enough people agreed that my biggest problem was the bike. My form looked great, I seemed to be doing everything right, so it must be the bike. I insisted that it had to be me and that I just wasn't efficient. But I finally broke down and got a new bike - a custom Elite Razor that I really do love (I was forced to ride my old bike for about a week and a half before Ironman Florida since I shipped my bike. I don't know how I ever was able to ride that thing. It was so uncomfortable). But it turns out that it's not just the bike. I still am pretty slow, so I'm going back to the efficiency theory. I also don't think I push myself hard enough. But now I know what I need to work on. I took a power max class for several months at the beginning of the year and I think it really made a difference. My speed is ever so slowly increasing. So I'm heading in the right direction.
In addition to getting faster and more comfortable, I want to bring my half-Ironman time down by 30 minutes. Right now, I'm hovering just above the 6 hour mark and 5:30 is my goal. I do think this is a realistic goal - about a third of this can come from the run and the rest from the bike. It is a lot to work towards, but I think I'm heading in the right direction.
My final goal, and certainly not least important, is to have fun. I am very competitive with myself and I have to remind myself that in the end I'm doing this because I like it and I enjoy it and because I'm lucky enough to be able to.
And before I sign out for the night, I just wanted to wish a great race to all my fellow HEPsters and swim buddies at Coeur d'Alene this weekend. I know you will all do great!
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