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IM Texas...Just Kept Shuffling at IM 29. 5th IM in 365 days
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Given that my IM South Africa and Wildflower reports got a bit long and never saw the light of day, I figure I better just write something quickly to share the experience at IM Texas. I like IM Texas not because I really love the course. I like it for the following reasons:

  1. It is in the same time zone (more or less) as home, so I can fly into it and out of it quickly. I only need to use 2 days of vacation and being a Saturday race , I can be home on Sunday and at work the next day
  2. Although I suck at riding in wind, because of the wind and oher elements IM Texas is a clean race. Everyone who beats me is a better athletes on the day
  3. I love the run set up and support....the multi loops and fan support is 1000x better than many IM's where you are in the middle of nowhere on the run
  4. The heat and humidity on the run will always favour me, as long as I just shuffle. No matter how badly I swim and bike, guys will blow up from over cooking it



Massive thanks to Mike Young and family. I don't do away races anymore unless I get to do them with friends or have friends that will look out for me. After ending IM Switzerland 2011 in an ambulance from a crash all family members feel more comfortable when I have "family" at the race venue.


They say you should not race the other racers, just race the conditions. Race with the body you have on race day, not the body you THINK you have....oh man, if I just had the body I THOUGHT I HAVE and if the conditions were fast....but alas. Heck, I wish I had the body I had 2 weeks ago at Wildflower where I was 2nd in 50-54....


Race morning I emailed my buddies back home at 6:15 am and said, "this place has humidity so thick it's worse than Borneo after a monsoon rain". I better adjust my race plan. Original plan was to target sub 10:30 with a 70 min no wetsuit swim, 5:10 bike, 4 hour run. I had some really good bike training and my wattages have been close to all time highs and some nerve problems with my bad left leg from a 2011 crash were under control (they were very bothersome on the bike in South Africa) where I was 12th in 50-54. I just ran sub 4 at IM South Africa and felt I could do it again.


The swim went to plan. I loved the rolling start and emerged into the transition "mud pit" in 71 minutes. Getting out of transition was a bit long and took me over 4 minutes (yikes). Onto the bike, my plan was to ride the first 100K at around 188W to beat the wind as much as possible and then dial back in the last 80K and focus on fueling for the run and end up with an average of 182W which is what I did in my last 4 IM's (Texas, Whistler, Tremblant, South Africa).


I was really happy with the relative lack of congestion and everyone racing pretty clean. I don't know what it is about Texas but in my 4th time racing in this state I find you guys are generally better than back at my "home race" at Tremblant , where the races invariably explode into draft fests at some point and as I was riding along thinking that, we got into the hillier area. On the downhills I get into my extreme tuck sitting on the top tube with head buried on the aerobars, elbows tucked into the hips, and quickly catch/pass guys pedaling. At this point, I closed quickly on a draft zone, but ran out of "downhill". But I know the rules and not do the 400W surge to make the pass. At that very moment, I was dinged for my first drafting penalty in 29 Ironmans.


On the one hand I was really upset with myself. I know the rules and I am an "on the bubble" athletes. I need every minute to get within the Kona rolldown bubble...most importantly, I know the rules and always harp on them. At the same time, I was happy. I was happy because I am on WTC/Jimmy Riccitello's case after every race about what is or is not working in terms of race fairness, so I was happy that WTC officials did exactly what I asked for...give racers a fair race.


I asked where the next penalty tent was, and then mentally got over it with a plan re adjustment to account for the penalty.


By 100K while I was on track for my wattage goal, I was having problems with my right pelvis. The story here is long and I don't like making excuses, but because of my accident in 2011, I had to re learn how to walk, then jog, then ride a bike. At first my left leg would come involuntarily unclipped. At IM South Africa, my leg was reverting to this behaviour, so I was very diligent to do all my core/rehab/stability work before Wildflower and Texas, but on Monday of race week I kind of messed something up and pulled my right groin. By end of week, the pain was gone, but the tightness was there. 100K into the bike both the hip flexor and right glute were in pain. This is the part of "race the body you have, not the one you think you have". My original plan was to do a lot of "soft pedaling" in the second half to bring my average down to 182W (at this point I was at 188W) and focus on refueling and digestion (digestion is always easier at low watts). Well, it was not even a choice. Each time I looked at my power meter, I saw numbers like 155W, 165W etc etc. This is barely my warmup pace. My recovery pace for intervals is 180W and I could not even hold that.


I decided, to just work with what I had. My B goal bike time was sub 5:30 in case of wind or body no cooperating and I went with that. I needed to ride closer to 5:10 to be in KQ range, but the reality is, I still need a rolldown. So I decided that rather than worry about "racing", I would see what I could get out of my body. Rather than sub 10:30 shoot for the B goal of sub 11.


I served my penalty at mile 93 or so and then mentally got ready for the run. Cruised into transition in 5:29 with the penalty (so 5:24 ride time) at 174W (my last 4 IM's were 182, 181, 182, 181W)


At IM South Africa, my run was 3:58 in similar temps and less humidity. Leaving T2, the race clock was 6:48. I needed 4:10 for a sub 11. I started the run and the hip was fine for running now with my body out of the aero position. I gave it 3 miles at the pace I need to get to sub 4. I pretty well know my "degradation profile" and what pace I need to feel comfortable at early to end up at a final decent run. I felt the perceived exertion was too high and with the humidity in Woodlands to hit sub 4 and quickly adjusted my effort so that I could at least not walk and hit a 4:10. The rest of the run was spent in nutrition and pacing management. Gradually, I moved from 30th off the bike to 17th as I later found out. In 50-54, you don't have to run fast for placements behind the front of pack....you just have to keep running.


The course alternated between feeling like a sauna in the Borneo rain forest of a 90F wind tunnel. I don't know what was worse. Finally lap 3 was ending. I looked at my watch and I was at 10:55 with the final stretch to go. Sub 11 was in the bag. I came in at 10:58. Not the best day for "racing" but an excellent day for mental execution.


This was my 29th Ironman. I have run EVERY Step in 28 of them. I am pleased that I have never come to an Ironman simply with a goal to tour. I have always felt that I came to RACE. At heart, even though my legs don't run as fast as they once did (drive by brag, I was a 2:48 marathoner 20 years ago), I am still a racer at heart. The racing today is racing my own body, not racing others. As life moves on, we find new challenges in racing, not chasing the ghost of our former selves.


This spring was a really tough work schedule. I have already flown over 70,000 miles this year on biz travel. I spend half of my time on the road, running in parking lots, treadmills, airport gyms, hotel 8 m pools, and flipping constantly over 8-14 hours of time zones as I started off new business initiatives at work. I know everyone has their own challenges. What is cool that if you are using a 4G network to read this report, you're reading it through the interconnect switching semiconductors that my team does. The cost of winning 100% of the 4G market is myself and teammates having this very nomadic life trying to win in global markets. Trying to train like a pro on top of this is borderline insanity, but as I told my friend Rob Gray, I have been living like this since i joined the Armed Forces. I was the crazy guy doing squats with my rucksack in the field to gain fitness, or intentionally taking "punishment laps and pushups" to get fitter so that I could get the higest score on the fitness test. Some things just end up being part of the DNA.


At the finish line the FIRST person I met with Jimmy Riccitello,


Jimmy, "Congrats Dev, how was it out there"
Dev, "I signed up for the wind and humidity and it broke me"
Jimmy, "How as the officiating and drafting"
Dev, "Jimmy, hats off you guys did an awesome job. I got my first penalty in 29 Ironmans...went into a draft zone and did not make the pass"
Jimmy, "Well, it is rare that people stand up and take ownership for their violations, but good to know"
Dev, "The rolling start worked well to break it up a bit, but your guys were everywhere pretty well all the time. Thanks...this is what I always ask".


And so it ends.


Massive thanks to Mike Young without whom I could not have done the race, and to Rob Gray back in San Jose. Rob has been my "training partner" all spring as I seemingly spend a lot of time in San Jose on biz. We had some awesome hammerfests up Mount Hamilton, Metcalfe and Sierra climbs as well as a fun trip to Wildflower. More on that soon.


Final times 71 min swim, 5:29 bike (174W average), 4:09 run, 8 min of transitions, 10:58, 17th M50-54, 258th overall.




Last edited by: devashish_paul: May 20, 15 8:00
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Re: IM Texas...Just Kept Shuffling at IM 29. 5th IM in 365 days [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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good work out there, dev - hats off!

____________________________________
https://lshtm.academia.edu/MikeCallaghan

http://howtobeswiss.blogspot.ch/
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Re: IM Texas...Just Kept Shuffling at IM 29. 5th IM in 365 days [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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Great job! Congrats on your string of IM runs!

Just curious - you say you were a 2:48 marathon runner 20 years ago - how would you peg your ability right now? I'm curious, as I'm in my early 40s, and honestly, while I was never a run/bike/endurance stud by any stretch, I trained hard since high school and my times are pretty much the same from age 18 to now. I'm not looking forward to a big dropoff at age 50, but that's what it looks like based upon BQ times etc.
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Re: IM Texas...Just Kept Shuffling at IM 29. 5th IM in 365 days [lightheir] [ In reply to ]
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lightheir wrote:
Great job! Congrats on your string of IM runs!

Just curious - you say you were a 2:48 marathon runner 20 years ago - how would you peg your ability right now? I'm curious, as I'm in my early 40s, and honestly, while I was never a run/bike/endurance stud by any stretch, I trained hard since high school and my times are pretty much the same from age 18 to now. I'm not looking forward to a big dropoff at age 50, but that's what it looks like based upon BQ times etc.

My big drop off was right at age 46 when I had my accident. The year before that my half marathon was still 1:22 and 10k at 38. My bike FTP has not dropped a watts. In fact it may be higher at 50 than 40 due to better training. My main run drop off is lack off coordination with my left leg. I would peg my open marathon today at only 3:15 to 3:20. I consistently run half IM's 1:36 to 1:40 range on moderate courses (don't count my 1:48 at Wildflower 2 weeks ago, count my 1:40 at Tremblant 70.3 WC). I think you can maintain strong run performance into the early 50's with smart training, proper nutrition and keeping your weight down. I was 140 in college and 138 at race weight now, 30 years later. I think that is key.
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Re: IM Texas...Just Kept Shuffling at IM 29. 5th IM in 365 days [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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devashish_paul wrote:
Given that my IM South Africa and Wildflower reports got a bit long and never saw the light of day, I figure I better just write something quickly to share the experience at IM Texas.

That is the longest quick race report I can recall.

My wife has no desire to go back, but I'd like another chance to run the marathon. First I need to master the heat like you have.
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Re: IM Texas...Just Kept Shuffling at IM 29. 5th IM in 365 days [TryScott] [ In reply to ]
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Well, the intent was to write a short report but it got out of hand "again".

In terms of mastering the heat, actually being sub 140 lbs and being a low wattage athlete means you generate less heat than bigger athletes. So there is not much to do other than manage hydration-sodium and pacing. I was very diligent about my sodium and hydration. On the run I took 600 mg per hour above what was in gels, red bull and gatorade. On the bike I had 4.5 L of liquid, 1600 cals, and more than 4000 mg of sodium. On the run I was trying to take in 4 gels per lap for calories plus whatever I could get out of gatorade and red bull.
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Re: IM Texas...Just Kept Shuffling at IM 29. 5th IM in 365 days [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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Always happy to have you and the boys love their new sweatshirts, especially Jack. It's perfect for after swim practice - even in our heat. Congrats on another great race.
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Re: IM Texas...Just Kept Shuffling at IM 29. 5th IM in 365 days [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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Great stuff Dev, and congrats on coming back from an injury that would've made most of us head to the golf course. Seriously for you to overcome and get back to racing at a competitive level (and the placing at 17th for those who don't know doesn't tell the true story with the deep and talented AG at this race) is incredible and the product of persistence and work.

And all with a great positive attitude. Enjoyed seeing and talking with you and look forward to the next one...now haha don't forget to email me those "secret" core and symmetry exercises ;)


Coach at KonaCoach Multisport
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Re: IM Texas...Just Kept Shuffling at IM 29. 5th IM in 365 days [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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devashish_paul wrote:
Well, the intent was to write a short report but it got out of hand "again".

In terms of mastering the heat, actually being sub 140 lbs and being a low wattage athlete means you generate less heat than bigger athletes. So there is not much to do other than manage hydration-sodium and pacing. I was very diligent about my sodium and hydration. On the run I took 600 mg per hour above what was in gels, red bull and gatorade. On the bike I had 4.5 L of liquid, 1600 cals, and more than 4000 mg of sodium. On the run I was trying to take in 4 gels per lap for calories plus whatever I could get out of gatorade and red bull.
Just out of curiosity, how tall are you?
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Re: IM Texas...Just Kept Shuffling at IM 29. 5th IM in 365 days [Terra-Man] [ In reply to ]
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Terra-Man wrote:
Great stuff Dev, and congrats on coming back from an injury that would've made most of us head to the golf course. Seriously for you to overcome and get back to racing at a competitive level (and the placing at 17th for those who don't know doesn't tell the true story with the deep and talented AG at this race) is incredible and the product of persistence and work.

And all with a great positive attitude. Enjoyed seeing and talking with you and look forward to the next one...now haha don't forget to email me those "secret" core and symmetry exercises ;)

The only core work I have had is my ass in an airplane on Sunday post race to Ottawa, and spend a day with family and then back on a plane to Seattle....core work was while I talked with you on the phone and again in the airport with people laughing at a dude in a biz suit doing stability work on the side of the line up to the boarding gate :-). Hey, how about arm twisting you to come out to Whistler. Wetsuit swim and tough bike and run course.....very Larkin favourable.
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Re: IM Texas...Just Kept Shuffling at IM 29. 5th IM in 365 days [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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Nice work Dev, its chad here. Looking forward to catching up in whistler. Im sure you are doing IMCDA before that though!!!
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Re: IM Texas...Just Kept Shuffling at IM 29. 5th IM in 365 days [spudone] [ In reply to ]
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I am the same height as Spud Webb and Joe Morris except I am neither in the NBA nor NFL....5'6". I think you have to be 50-54 to remember those pro sport athletes being small me in in the sports of giants. Greg Welch and Christian Bustos and lately Romaine Guillaume are my long course heros.
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Re: IM Texas...Just Kept Shuffling at IM 29. 5th IM in 365 days [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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Registration is already open for next year.


.

.

Once, I was fast. But I got over it.
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Re: IM Texas...Just Kept Shuffling at IM 29. 5th IM in 365 days [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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devashish_paul wrote:
I figure I better just write something quickly to share the experience at IM Texas.

2,000 words = Devashish Brevity

Proud Member of Chris McDonald's 2018 Big Sexy Race Team "That which doesn't kill me, will only make me stronger"
Blog-Twitter-Instagram-Race Reports - 2018 Races: IM Florida 70.3, IM Raleigh 70.3, IM 70.3 World Championships - South Africa, IM North Carolina 70.3
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Re: IM Texas...Just Kept Shuffling at IM 29. 5th IM in 365 days [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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Nice job Dev. and I appreciate your honesty re: the penalty.

You got nice USAT points @ Wildflower!

Now, take a break - whydon'tya? :-)

You know you are 50 now, right? (old guys rule!)

Enjoy the journey

I saw this on a white board in a window box at my daughters middle school...
List of what life owes you:
1. __________
2. __________
3. __________
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Re: IM Texas...Just Kept Shuffling at IM 29. 5th IM in 365 days [manofthewoods] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks for sharing Dev. I sure hope I will still be at it and as competitive as you are when I grow older.
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Re: IM Texas...Just Kept Shuffling at IM 29. 5th IM in 365 days [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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Damn! 5 IM in a year and 29 overall. Impressive Dev.
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Re: IM Texas...Just Kept Shuffling at IM 29. 5th IM in 365 days [tucktri] [ In reply to ]
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tucktri wrote:
Damn! 5 IM in a year and 29 overall. Impressive Dev.

The string of 5 started on May 17 2014 and ended on May 16 2015....so it's really 3 IM's in one season and 2 in the next season, but technically I am claiming it all in "1 year". Manofthewoods, my report from WF is still work in progress. All this overdoing the racing is actually intentional. I agree we are supposed to back off, but getting a second chance in life to actually compete with all you guys, I am taking the opportunity to maximize. I have some flexibility in life now that my son is in college, I have amazing family support, and the blessing to blow way too much money on this crazy hobby (which presents the mid life crisis high end sports car that is not in my driveway.....rather I have a Jetta and spend the rest on triathlon related racing, gear and incidentals).
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Re: IM Texas...Just Kept Shuffling at IM 29. 5th IM in 365 days [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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Dev, congratulations on another great race and thanks for posting your report.


"As life moves on, we find new challenges in racing, not chasing the ghost of our former selves."



That's such a great statement.

Will
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Re: IM Texas...Just Kept Shuffling at IM 29. 5th IM in 365 days [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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Congrats on the race! Impressive result, especially with the volume of full distance racing in a year mixed with work/life/etc. I enjoy reading about your experiences! I too was impressed with the fairness of the course in Texas. I witnessed zero drafting, and the officials were pacing me twice while I was making passes. At those points I know I was pushing the wattage a bit!
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Re: IM Texas...Just Kept Shuffling at IM 29. 5th IM in 365 days [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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Great job and write up Dev, come to Canada and get that KQ!

Jack



"Only those who risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." T.S. Elliot | Cycle2Tri.com
Sponsors: SciCon | | Every Man Jack
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Re: IM Texas...Just Kept Shuffling at IM 29. 5th IM in 365 days [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks for sharing Dev. I always enjoy your race reports and I too hope to "Just keep shuffling" in my next IM! Cheers.
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Re: IM Texas...Just Kept Shuffling at IM 29. 5th IM in 365 days [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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It was great to meet you in person at the ST gathering Thursday evening; you are a nice person online and even nicer in-person.

You passed me on the run. Nice work!

See ya next year at IMTX!?

Proud Representative of Slowtwitch Anti-Atheists Society.
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Re: IM Texas...Just Kept Shuffling at IM 29. 5th IM in 365 days [devashish_paul] [ In reply to ]
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Congrats.

29 ironman races...how have you managed to do that? Amazing
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Re: IM Texas...Just Kept Shuffling at IM 29. 5th IM in 365 days [andreasjs] [ In reply to ]
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andreasjs wrote:
Congrats.


29 ironman races...how have you managed to do that? Amazing


When I finally post my Wildflower report, I actually explain the detail but here it is. I missed Kona slot by 8 seconds at Wildflower 1996 (drive by brag, I was 8th age grouper overall). Later that year, I got hit by a car before my next KQ chance. My son was born that year, and I changed careers, but I kept doing 1 IM per year on Olympic tri training which was manageable "just to keep the hope of KQ alive". It took my 10 more years and final KQ in 2006. After that, I found out 2 things:

  1. I found out that I really enjoyed the DAY of the Ironman. The process, of getting the most out of my body was intriguing
  2. I also found out that I really detested super super long training, but I could get Ironmans done on lots of short intense workouts with high frequency that fit around day to day life. I long weekend of training was enough to prove to myself I could cover the distance
  3. Once I finally KQ'd and, said, "so now what". The answer to "so now what" was "today's workout"



What I mean by that, is that workout out daily in some form just became something that was part of me. It is like eating and breathing oxygen. It might be a 15 minute hotel pool swim, 20 minutes of weights, even a 10 min run doing loops around the parking lot before going home but that was it. I joked with my friend Barry "Konaexpress" Dmitruk (who has done 33 and 7x Kona) that we're just like a bunch of dogs. Feed us, let us sleep, and take us out for some exercise and we're nice humans to be around. But if you don't we're like Alaskan Huskies who did not get their exercise. Now with my business schedule, my training is more intensity focused like an Olympic tri guy. I am literally doing intensity every day in some sport. I just don't run longer than 90 min in training anymore and bike longer than 90K other than at my 2 Epicman camps (see below). But as my wife says, since I do enough long events, I don't need to train long. The intensity oriented training leaves me with a lot more energy for life


I concede that my run is sub optimized due to no long runs, and the lack of long riding is not ideal, but it is a balance with work life that needs my energy. Hopefully that helps. Obviously there is unconditional support on the home front. Not that many spouses have been through that many IM's. When I first met my wife (girlfriend at the time), was in the Air Force, doing my MBA at night school and training for IMC 1991. She was cool with my shenanigans then. You don't get to the start line without a battalion of support on the home front.
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