~Statement of Intent~

Today I stand here before you to announce my intentions for the big race of 2009. Tomorrow at 0630 hours I sign up for Muncie Endurathon - my first ever 70.3 mile triathlon. The Half Ironman distance.

My friend Melissa K. and I are doing Muncie in July and our friends Amy and Lana (blondonabike over on my blogs I stalk list) are doing Muskoka 70.3 in Canada this September. Amy is an overachiever and is talking about doing Steelhead 70.3 in August as well. Craziness!

Pretty much my entire training group of friends are doing the same distance this year which is awesome!

Melissa and I had lunch together today (yummy Thai food FYI) and we were discussing the training ahead of us. Let me sum it up this way... lots of training will be had by all.

But really, when you set out to do something big isn't training for it the last thing you think of? I mean in the past I signed up for a marathon and was like - woo hoo how much fun will that be? I didn't even focus on the training until.... oh wait... bad example. *cough* moving on....

Well for me defining my training period was the first thing that I thought of. I actually found a 20 week training plan before I found a race.

As Lana will certainly point out - I am anal like that. I like to know what I will need to do before I embark on the journey. Really though, I just wanted to see what a plan of this distance would look like. I really had no real plan to follow for the sprint distance. After the season started it was all maintanence and improvement with FAST workouts. However, for this distance I think that I need a little more structure in program design, with the flexibility to still make all the team workouts we have going for us now.

I am taking advantage of all that there is available to me right now. I pared down my schedule for the start of 2009 to allow for the training and rest required to build this endurance.

I technically broke my 2009 season into two seaons (why stop at one right?). Part A peaks at Muncie, Part B peaks at Detroit. So far. :o)

~2009 Part A~
February -
Superbowl 5K

March -
Corktown 4 miler

April -
Martian Half Marathon

May -
Willow Duathlon

June -
Motor City Olympic Triathlon,
Triceratops Triathlon

July - Muncie Endurathon,
Pterodactyl Triathlon


~2009 Part B~
August -
Rock 'n' Roll Chicago Half Marathon,
T-Rex Triathlon,
FAST Island Lake of Novi Triathlon

September -
US Air Force Half Marathon

October -
Brooksie Way Half Marathon,
Detroit Half Marathon



This summer we will have bike/run bricks on Wednesdays, swim/bike bricks on Thursdays, and swim/bike bricks on Saturdays as well as long run or long bike days on Sundays. I mean honestly - with all of the opportunities in front of me to get in time in the saddle and time in the lake - I would have to try to fail at getting in training hours.

So honestly my own roadblock in training that I forsee is myself and my tendacy to slack off a bit toooo much at times. I alsways get back on the horse, and I take rest days when I need it, but the temptation to go home and play Wii in the air conditioned comfort of my living room may be powerful come the sweltering heat of July and August.

Hey, at least I am honest.

Melissa and I are going to work well together as training partners for this as we are complete opposites in our backgrounds - she is the swimmer extraordinaire - swim coach and bonafide water polo queen and I have some attraction to the half marathon distance in running.

So of course that means that her concern going into Muncie is the run, and of course mine is the swim.

We are getting equal on the bike - she is still faster but I am catching up darnit! But she can help me structure my swim plan to get me to my goals in the lake, while I can help her with the run portion, even if she runs a good 1-2 minutes / mile quicker than I. I can help with the long runs since I can do long and slow for days.

My nerves are still bunched in my stomach saying - Really Jenn? I mean really? Are you ready to get serious about finishing an endurance race of this nature and truly push your self for once?

Well you know what nerves? The answer is yes. Yes I am.