The Road to Provence

Our coach always says to have a reward in mind when you race - the proverbial "carrot" that is hanging just past the finish line you are so desperately trying to cross.  For nearly a year now, our focus has been on our training and preparation; our focus has been the road to Zurich.  With just 11 days left, the road to Zurich is coming to an end.  Our focus is now on the reward for all the miles, the grueling hours, the chaffing, the soreness -- the experience of an international triathlon, the glory of crossing that finish line, hearing those four precious words "you are an Ironman," and all the wine and cheese we can consume in the lavender-filled fields of Provence. 

These 11 days, I can already tell, will be tortuous.  Anxiety is setting in.  I find myself unable to sleep well and unable to concentrate.  I find myself pouring over Youtube videos and IM Zurich blogs, reading and rereading the Ironman Zurich Athlete Guide, thinking about every detail of the day, my race plan, and how to execute it.  I am working to convince myself that the training is done and that I can do this, but I can't deny the lingering doubt.  The threat of failure may not be large but it weighs heavy.  Success is not simply crossing the finish line in under 16 hours (the race cutoff) but enjoying the experience.  I just hope that, while the race will certainly hurt, I am well enough prepared to avoid hitting the wall.  I want to finish strong.  I want to earn and enjoy our reward.

When you race a distance for the first time, the only goal is to finish.  OK, that takes some pressure off.  Trying to be more specific about my goals is next to impossible.  I have never biked 112 miles at once, never mind after swimming 2.4 miles and following it up with a marathon...so how could I possibly know how I will respond?  Well, I'll take a crack anyway.

Swim:  1:20.  I've been swimming well, and am pretty sure I can cover the distance in less time, but I don't want to be a hero on the swim. It's the warm up.  Plus the madness of the start will cost me time.  I plan to wait at least 1-2 minutes before I start swimming.

T1:  10 minutes.  Don't really know what to expect here in terms of logistics.  This is unlike any tri I've done.  I need to rely on volunteers to pump me through the transition as opposed to going to my little station.  I figure this is conservative.

Bike: 6:45.  Like the swim, I imagine that I can do this faster, even with breaks.  But since I still have to run a marathon, I will try to take it easy.  Where is the balance?  Will taking 30 minutes longer on the bike save me 30 minutes or more on the run?  Who knows.  My plan is to go by feel and not watch the clock for any reason other than timing my hydration and nutrition intake.  Never push, avoid burning up the legs.

T2: 10 minutes.  Like T1, this is a guess.  Hopefully a conservative one.

Run:  This is the biggest question mark.  NO CLUE.  5 hours would be awesome.  This might be way too aggressive if I'm mostly walking at the end, but let's dare to dream and leave it at that.

Total: 13:25 Hmm.  That seems fast.  Anything under 14:00 I'll be ecstatic.  Time will tell.  Tick tock.

140.6 to go.  Our seats are saved.