Reflecting Back on 25 Ironmans: #1 Ironman Canada ...
“What do I need to know to train for and finish an Ironman?”

“What do I need to do to go faster in an Ironman?”

As a triathlon coach and a sub-nine Ironman-distance athlete, I hear these question a lot.

With the completion of my 25th Ironman-distance triathlon at ChesapeakeMan last month, I thought it might be interesting and helpful to others for me to reflect back on mistakes made, what I learned along the way and tips for success.

With my next door neighbor and training partner, Phil Young, I signed up for the 1997 Ironman Canada in October 2006. At this point in time, the race filled up only 9 months in advance, not the day after the current year’s race. Phil had done an Ironman in New Hampshire (no longer in existence) several years prior so he had some experience with training for the distance. Phil purchased a 24-week training plan from a triathlon coach that we shared and in early March 2007, our training began.

Lesson Learned: Follow a structured training plan from a trusted source. Training for an Ironman takes substantial time, energy and commitment. Following a structured training plan helps take away the anxiety of “What am I supposed doing?” Using a trusted source will give you the confidence to know that you’re doing the right thing and not wasting your time. Because we had a custom plan crafted by an experienced Ironman-distance athlete, I felt good about my training and my fitness going into the event - money well spent!

Reality Check: You Don’t Need a $5,000 Bike to Finish an Ironman. I raced my first two Ironman races on a $600 Cannondale road bike with clip-on aerobars and no race wheels.

Lesson Learned: Don’t start the run too fast. I felt good to be off the bike. My strength at the time was running so I started running fast. I heard a few comments from spectators like, “Slow it down,” but I ignored them. I ran my first 10km averaging under 7:00 min miles with a big smile on my face then the smile slowly inverted as my pace slowly spiraled downward from there as I went from “passer” to “passe” and as I moved from being in the top 50 overall to 169th place overall. Reality check.

Still, I crossed the line in 10:14, only 2 minutes away from a coveted Ironman Hawaii slot. I was now an Ironman.

This article series will be continued with race #2: Great Floridian Triathlon in October 1997.

You can read more about my experiences at Ironman Canada in my book, Full Time and Sub-Nine

Live life richly and boldly!

David

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David B. Glover
Writer, Athlete, Coach and Race Director
Author of Full Time and Sub-Nine
Personal Web: www.davidglover.net
Business Web: www.enduranceworks.net

©2008 David B. Glover

Quelle Challenge #4: Racing for Other Than a Fast ...

I’ll be racing at the Quelle Challenge in Roth tomorrow morning for the fourth year in a row. When I first came to Roth in 2005, I came to experience the legendary atmosphere of what is the largest Ironman-distance field in the world with more than 2,500 individuals and 500 relays competing and more than 100,000 spectators cheering. I was not disappointed in the experience.

I also came to break nine hours again in an Ironman after first going “sub nine” at the inaugural Blue Devil Iron Distance Triathlon in 2007. Because of the fast times posted at Roth including the 7:50 world record set by Luc van Lierde, I mistakenly believed the Challenge would be an easy course. Fast, yes. Easy, no. It took me three tries to break nine hours, which I finally did in 2007 with an 8:51 for 23rd overall with the help of my coach, top German pro triathlete Olaf Sabatschus. You can read about my experiences at least year’s race here.

Photo: Me finishing in 2007 (Photographer: Courtney Johnson)

Tomorrow will be different. My original intent in signing up for the race was to post a faster time than last year. Unfortunately, some earlier recurring leg issues and a bout with over training followed by my stubborn unwillingness to back off leave me in decent (but not great) swimming and biking shape with no run base.

So tomorrow I will swallow my pride and only do the swim and bike. I will forgo the run as my leg is still bothering me and I need to let it heal. I will finish early then spend the rest of the day cheering on my Virginia friends: Shawn, Reid, Jennifer and Mark. I plan to have fun. That’s a good enough reason for me to do the event.

After a spectacular 2007 season with an 8:51 PR at Roth, an overall win at Vineman and another strong finish at Ironman Louisville within a 2-month span, 2008 is turning into a temporary reprieve from Ironman training and racing in order to recharge mentally and physically. It’s taken me a while to get to the point where I am willing to admit that I need a break from the disciplined training and focus, but deep down, I know this is the right thing to do. This is not to say I won’t do 4 hour bike rides with Brady or Krista when they need training partners for their long rides, but rather that I can choose what I want to do instead of what I need to do.

Plus, there are many unique and challenge events outside of triathlon to sample. Next week, I’m heading down to the Swiss Alps with my friend, Dave Tipler, to do a week of hiking in the mountains, and in the fall, I am looking forward to experiencing a few adventure races.

Next year will be here soon enough and I will be back with my passion.

Live life boldly and richly,

David Glover

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David B. Glover
Professional Triathlete, Coach and Race Director
Author of Full Time and Sub-Nine
Personal Web: www.davidglover.net
Business Web: www.enduranceworks.net

© 2008 David B. Glover

In Search of the Perfect Race...

As I think about why I do the sport of triathlon and why I love the Ironman distance (2.4-mile swim + 112-mile bike + 26.2-mile run = 140.6 miles), it really boils down to one thing - commitment. Webster’s defines commitment as “an agreement or pledge to do something in the future.” Racing an Ironman is about commitment to oneself to do something special over 140.6 miles.

Photo by: Richard Frasier

For many years, my special goal was to break 9 hours in an Ironman. I did that in 2002 at the inaugural Blue Devil Triathlon in a time of 8:57. I have not been able to repeat that feat since then although I have attempted it in multiple Ironman races since then. I obviously want to do it again but I have not been able to because, *I believe*, I have already done it and the desire to do it again is just not as strong. The desire to dig deep and deeper past the discomfort, the pain and the suffering of 9 hours of continuous. To regain that desire, I need to chase something new, something even more challenging. I need to chase a step leap in performance - something seemingly unattainable except for the best of the best in the sport.

I want a sub 8:30 Ironman.

It’s doable, at least on paper:
- 0:54 swim (I did this at Roth in 2006)
- 4:40 bike (My best is a 4:50 so this is not a big stretch)
- 2:50 marathon (I ran Disney in 2:46 on sore, fatigued legs after running the Disney 1/2 Marathon the day before - see previous post)
- Plus 4 or 5 minutes in transition time

So why tell the world by writing this in my journal? Because I’m serious about the goal and I’m not afraid to fail.

To achieve this time will require the perfect race - everything must go right starting today, January 25, and every day going forward as I turn my energy, my passion and my focus this year and commit to achieving this goal in June 24, 2007 in Roth, Germany in the Quelle Challenge.

Life is good. Live.

David

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David B. Glover
Experiential Writer, Elite Athlete, Coach and Race Director
Author of Full Time and Sub-Nine
Personal Web: www.davidglover.net
Business Web: www.enduranceworks.net

©2007 David B. Glover