and for something very different I am thinking about doing Ironman Revisited. If you are unfamiliar with this event, it is the full Ironman distance on the original course in Oahu. It normally just has about 35 entrants and is a fundraiser for the Challeneged Athletes Foundation. http://www.challengedathletes.org/caf/template.asp?id=91

I hope to make that decision in the next couple of weeks and then I will be hitting you all up for a donation :-)[/reply]

2004 is going to be a year of big races for me and they are all around the world.

Marathon des Sables in April

Great Wall Marathon 22 May

Royal Windsor Olympic distance 13 June

Roth 4th July

Ironman Korea (29 August/4 Sept)

Beijing Marathon 17 Oct

New York Marathon Nov

Any other races will be dependent on where I happen to be at that time!

MdS and Roth are my 'A' races.



Ambitious? Sure, but this is a sport for motivated people and I enjoy the challenge.

dt.

I did my first 1/2 IM this past season, so next year I want to do 2 or 3 more and get much faster at that distance. I want to do an IM in 2005, but only if I can get faster. So, my goals are all about trying to improve my incredibly slow paces:

- My time in the pool is limited, so not much speed improvement expected here, but it would be nice to break 40 min for the 2k distance

- I can go forever on my bike, but my average speed is stuck around 16 to 17 mph. I would love to average 18+ mph in a race next year. Winter training will be focussed on that (any ideas to attain this are welcome!!).

- Run consistently through the winter and spring to get my running under 9 min/mile.

D.

Last season I attempted to move up to my first 1/2IM. Actually I had 2 1/2IM's planned. I bombed on both.

1) chain broke ~3km into ride

2) total quad seizure 2 weeks out - couldn't even run 2km without a total shut down.

This year I will not be denied. I'll be like Superman on steroids. All I have to do is lose some weight, sign up for some Pilates classes, join a gym and build those quads into the locomotives they cry out to be.

races for 2004:

Peterborough 1/2IM (note: use new chain)

Ottawa 1/2IM (borrow supermodel from Ze Gopha's dream to massage quads - don't tell wife)

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put the mettle to the pedal

Should be a fun year. Focused primarily on short distance in '03 and am back to the long stuff in '04.

Georgia RockNRollMan Half in June - top ten

Boulder 5430 Half in July - top five

Duke Liver Cancer Center Half in September - top three

Great Floridian Triathlon in October - beat Joe Bonness!

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Marty Gaal, CSCS
One Step Beyond Coaching
Triangle Open Water Swim Series | Old School Aquathon Series
Powerstroke® Freestyle Technique DVD

Mmmm, let's see.

L.A. Marathon - March 7?

Los Angeles Triathlon Series at Bonnelli park - mid-April, mid-May and early June

Wildflower IM/2- my 6th attempt at sub 6 hours.

La Palma Fitness 10K - July 4

Pigman 1/2 late August

Great Floridian - win AG, break 12 hours. I'm more confident at breaking 12 hours at a ful IM than 6 hours for 1/2

San Diego Triathlon Challenge - CAF's other benefit triathlon. Too close to GFT so I'll relay this one again.



Larry

For 2004 I WILL:

1) Buy a bike

2) Learn to swim (I currently know how to not drown)

3) Complete my first tri.

4) Repeat iterations of #3.

Davet Marathon des sables Awesome.....Maybe one day...I sure would like to try...Thats a "CHALLENGE"

This last year was blown off due to new business and new baby. (All run, no bike, no swim.) My hopes for 2004 are to be able to put in enough bike time to simply enter a few duathlons and relay tris (bike+run). Mostly, I need to build my business so I can buy some training time.

"A" race of the year will be Rock N Roll Marathon in San Diego. I really, really need to run 3:30.

2003 SUCKED a$$ for me and still does somewhat. Several transatlantic flights, a new job, a custom built TT frame that showed up with out the fork 3 months after the due date, 2 months being sick from more stress, I just found out I'm being transferred and start Jan 2 in Phoenix and finally my partner in a little side business wants to retire.
So next year I'm going to take all my pent up anger and frustration out and race in the early season duathlons and bike races in AZ in Feb and March. Then off to CA to requalify for duathlon worlds.
I'll visit Powerman Bama for some southern hospitality and maybe even head out to NC for some duathlons and Mom, Dad and grandfolks bonding time.
Worlds and some fine Belgium beer, nationals, and more duathlons and bike races to follow.
I've got lots of frustration that grows daily so I need to race or I'm going to need meds.

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

OK all Slowtwitch bretheren, and sisteren (man is that a forum word) all the above goals, ambitions, trials are notes and now printed and filed in the Chubby Hubby tri filing cabinet. Maybe the'll be posted again for all to read sometime in February. You are an ambitious bunch. That's what's so great about this sport - the participants. Stay healthy, train hard, do unto others, etc. and keep on with the Slowtwitch Dreamin' ...

Steve

As promised, this thread is being brought back to life to let all read about aspirations, goals, challenges, etc. for this season that you all put down on paper (sortof) back in November. Actually, I am in a hotel room in the very northeast corner of New York State and just read the entire thread on Tri Newbies and bike handling started by CVGuy. Two hours later, it was time to start thinking about the upcoming season.

And might I say something here. Base building requires the patience of Job. If I do one more 6 miler with no accelerations, I think I'm going to die. But, this season starts here.

So, feel free to ammend your comments, add to them, post new, whatever. But what are you going to do this season. And remember, Chubby Hubby is in EagleMan country. So send PMs with any questions you out of towners might have and we'll see you all in June.

Chubby

Just for fun, let's look back at all the 2004 predictions and goals. How did you do? Any surprises ... anything you would have done differently? Have fun flipping through the archives.

Steve

Wow Davet,

Quite an impressive year! Keep us inform on how it goes. Man! how can you afford all those races?! Yeah, I know, question of priorities!

On my side, I had quite a bad year, injured for 3 months (ITB) and got sick (really bad infection) right before my A race, IM Austria which I finally DNS. So this year is called REVENGE! I'm going to IM Lanzarote and will be in the best shape of my life with a bike newly fitted by THE man, M. Tom Demerly!!! Hoping to go under 10h but I never been there and guess it will be hard but hey, let's dream and work for it! Would also be good to qualify for Hawai in which case it would become my second A race. If not, everything is open...will work a lot on my speed, will do some half, Quebec Marathon, etc. My training plan stops on May 21st with IM Lanzarote which will be my first triathlon of the year!

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Richard

"You're only young once, but you can be immature forever" - Larry Andersen

Let's see. I'm going to train over the winter to build a base for doing my second triathlon, first Oly, (Columbia, MD) in May, maybe a few sprints through the summer, depending on my schedule, funds and distance to races, and add the Reston, VA Oly in September. Then onward and upward to the Marine Corps Marathon at the end of October.

I have the treadmill, the trainer and access to an indoor pool. Now I just need someone to kick my rear into gear!

Suzanne

BTW, does anyone know where to find listings for 2005 races? I've checked Trifind.com but I only see the 2004 races.

Suzanne

Wow. Looking back, my season totally didn't go as planned. Didn't race St. Anthony's, didn't do well in my age-group sprints, didn't do half-ironman in Clermont. I suck. I suppose I could make the excuse that my 50+ hour a week, very stressful job got in the way, along with buying and remodeling a condo, and getting married. I suppose I should just be happy that the training and racing I did get to do kept me sane through all of that. Yes, I can be happy with that. However, next year I plan to race St. Anthony's, hammer at local races and do half-ironman Clermont in the fall. Kick ass.

SM

Ah goals. I have some definite goals for 2004.

1. Ralph's Half IM--definite time goals, which I don't want to put out there at this time. (Met the goals and went beyond that to a PR. Another HIM PR at Half Vineman and lowered it yet again at Barb's Race.)

2. CaliMan--finish the damned thing! Not end up in the medical tent. (Did it! And, set a 40 minute PR. Plus another 49 minutes off that PR in September at Ulramax.)

3. Do some bike races and see how I like it. (especially on the track) (Did some crits and one ITT. No track, no road races. RRs definitely in 2005.)

Event I'm most looking forward to? The TOUR baby!! Belgium beer, French wine, Aussie cyclists and LANCE going for #6! I can't wait!! (Lance did it and lots of Belgium beer and French wine was drunk and I got to spend time with my Aussie buds. Totally perfect trip.)

clm

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clm
Nashville, TN
https://twitter.com/ironclm | http://ironclm.typepad.com

With an IM PR this past weekend of slightly more than 10 hrs I decided against signing up next year and will only race 1/2 IMs in 2005 - first time in 6 years no IM to focus on. Will do the 3 1/2s I have been doing the last 3 years which are Eagleman, Buffalo Springs, and Muncie...3 great races in 5 weeks and then spend the rest of the summer doing something else instead of training for the usual IM.

Planned to do 3 triathlons, ended up doing 4 and enjoyed them all (even the triathlon that turned into a duathlon because the swim got cancelled). Even ended up with a 2nd place in my age group at a small triathlon that I just trained through (There were 25 in my age group).

Didn't plan on doing a half marathon but after doing a double on Memorial Day (10K followed immediately by a 5K) I realized I could probably run 13 miles. And on Labor Day I did! By that time I knew I could because I had built up to a long run of 15 miles 3 weeks out from the 1/2.

Also did a 5K open water swim in September but am still paying the price from that with a sore left shoulder - no plans to repeat that in 2005.

Next year will include more half marathons and 2 half-IMs plus some Olys. Then if the body holds together, the plan is to do the Milwaukee marathon at the beginning of October.

Thanks for awakening this thread - it is fun to read how everyone else did in 2004.

Regina