Discipline in general has not been my strongest suit. Maybe I'm being a bit too hard on myself by saying that, but really it's the truth. I haven't paid every bill on-time, I let dishes pile up in the sink, I wait until the last minute to buy a hallmark card on the way to a friend's wedding and fill out the card right there in CVS, decked out in my suit and tie. (And there are worse things that I've been lucky to come out unscathed for the most part.) Some of these things you can get away with without anyone ever really knowing and no major impact. But when doing Ironman there's no hiding one's discipline in having prepared for the event.
There are cut-off times for each segment of the race. You miss the cut-off, you're done for the day. (Thankfully I've made all the cut-offs without any trouble.) There are spectators and fellow participants watching each athlete's effort which over the distance can morph into a struggle at anytime; a freestyle stroke turns into a breathstroke; a hammering on the bike in the aero tuck position switches to sitting up and spinning because your back is tired; and a triumphant stride turns into a limping saunter on the run course towards the final miles of the day. I've experienced each of these transformations in my races due to lack a preparation, a lack of discipline in my training.
So this is the main point here: discipline and preparation are key. Leading up to my first two races, I did enough training to get from start to finish, but I hadn't done my best. Over this weekend, I'll post retrospectives of my 2007 and 2008 races to provide an overview of how much (how little!) training I did leading up to each of those races. Further on then will be a stark comparison of the training I'm doing this year. Will the third time be a charm?
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