Colby... Ladies... I dreamed of doing an Ironman last night!

[KSH]

OMG! It FINALLY happened. I'm not sure why it happened NOW... as I have called off my plans for IMAZ 08 (my cycling won't be up to par by then and I HATE training in the winter).

My dream was so odd.

First we start getting ready.... and it's this huge room like a classroom. Low ceilings with these little plastic chairs to sit on.

I put on my wetsuit which is TOO HUGE. I freak, but calmly realize that I can do the swim, even with a huge wetsuit on.

So, I make my way to the water. It's the oddest swim EVER! The water is clear and has these gel-like blobs in it that attach to your hands and wrap around them. I have to get one off my hands.

Then... you go to the right and end up in this huge whirlpool that takes you around in a circle and slings you out. Great! No swimming involved. Oddly (yea, it's a dream!) my wetsuit has become a sleeveless at this point... and the water is toasty warm.

After the huge whirlpool, you have to get a kick board and go to the left in some shallow water and even walk some.

So... the swim is over and there are no directions on where to go to exit the water. Everyone just gets out in different spots. I walk through some prickly seaweeds and get thorns stuck in my legs. OUCH! Those I have to pick out later.

Then we go back into the huge room to change. We have plenty of time and they are having a mass start on the bike (this comes from reading some gals tri coming up has a mass bike start). Someone finally comes in and tells me that I need to hurry up, everyone is waiting on me.

I finally get myself dress and head off for the bike. Then, the dream cuts to T2. Again, a long time in the changing room.

Not sure how it finishes... so Colby, unlike your dream, I don't see myself crossing the finish line.

Now, I know this dream sounds horrible... but honestly through the whole thing... I was HAPPY... EXCITED and I felt WONDERFUL! I never got upset or despondent... I was just so excited to be there... nothing got into my head.

Overall, it was a wonderful dream and how I felt during the dream was calm, happy, and excited. I woke up feeling wonderful!

Now, I need to pick an IM for 09! One that I can do where I don't have to train the winter.

[Kimmyt]

and one that has a whirlpool slingshotty swim! :D

i love bizarre dreams..

[rocknrollgirl]

OK...it is kinda weird...but I used to dream all the time that I could slam dunk like Micheal Jordan...big hang time. Go figure.

[colby]

I love the parts where you skip randomly from one thing to another, as if you're really just floating on a dream cloud and it's going where it wants to go... ;) I had that same feeling of being so excited, just loving to be there, a very "I'm doing it and this is awesome!" attitude. I woke up feeling great, too. It's hard to describe that feeling. I remember thinking in my dream that it was so difficult, but even then I remember thinking to myself and saying out loud "I CAN do this and I WILL finish." It was really matter of fact, but it all felt so awesome.

Congratulations, you are now Iron in your dreams, too! I feel much better (less crazy). :D

[Starfish]

What a great dream!

[Starfish]

Some of my favorites include flying with eagles and swimming under the water, talking to whales! Do you think being a cyclist does this to us? :D

[Wahine]

Now, I need to pick an IM for 09! One that I can do where I don't have to train the winter.

Or a later season '08 race like Florida. It's flat!!


You can do it KSH.

[crazycanuck]

Come on down to Western Australia to do the half IM or full IM :)

Half is in may, Full IM is in December.

We're very friendly down here :D
C

[KSH]

Or a later season '08 race like Florida. It's flat!!


You can do it KSH.


My coach suggested IMFL. It's so hard to get into though. You basically have to get in when registration opens in the first couple of hours, or forget it.

Otherwise, I just wonder if my legs will be up to it by then. I'm only doing 13-14 miles a week right now, and it's hurting pretty bad.



Come on down to Western Australia to do the half IM or full IM

Half is in may, Full IM is in December.



I wish! That sounds like a wonderful trip and IM. Although, I can't imagine having to travel with my bike, etc. all that way.

OH... and I couldn't afford to even make the trip. HA!

[Tri Girl]

VERY cool dream!!! :D

IMFL would be nice, but you could also try IMLP. It's late July, so you could do most of your training starting in January. OR.... you could just do an iron distance race that's not an M Dot race sometime else in the late summer/early fall (ahem... Redman in OKC... ;) ).
There is also the Great Floridian (had a friend that did that one and he liked it), IMWI (in Madison in early Sept), Chesapeake Man in Maryland (Sept.29), or even the Tri One O One race in the Woodlands on Nov. 11 (101.06 mile race- a new series this year).
I totally understand if you have your heart set on an M Dot, but there are LOTS of other options for iron distance if you can't get into an M Dot.

Awesome, dream!!!!

[KSH]

VERY cool dream!!! :D

IMFL would be nice, but you could also try IMLP. It's late July, so you could do most of your training starting in January. OR.... you could just do an iron distance race that's not an M Dot race sometime else in the late summer/early fall (ahem... Redman in OKC... ;) ).
There is also the Great Floridian (had a friend that did that one and he liked it), IMWI (in Madison in early Sept), Chesapeake Man in Maryland (Sept.29), or even the Tri One O One race in the Woodlands on Nov. 11 (101.06 mile race- a new series this year).
I totally understand if you have your heart set on an M Dot, but there are LOTS of other options for iron distance if you can't get into an M Dot.

Awesome, dream!!!!

Well, I am back to considering the Redman as my first IM. I figure do 1 IM, work out the kinks... then do my second one as an M Dot race and be ready for it.

It's just so hard to figure it all out... when you have to register for an M Dot race 1 year in advance. I do know that I can't train Nov/Dec/Jan/Feb. I'm just too much of a weather whimp.

I saw the Tri 101 race in Houston... but if I'm going the distance, I am going the FULL distance.

IMLP- that's in NY right? No way. Too far away and it sounds cold.

I think IMFL would be my best bet. Although I would probably need to go watch/volunteer so I could register at the site. I heard for some of the IM's, when people register at the site, they line up a day ahead of time and camp out. UGH.

[rocknrollgirl]

IMLP is HILLY, HILLY, HILLY...I mean huge hills....... so flatter might be the way to go to start. Right?

[Wahine]

IMLP is HILLY, HILLY, HILLY...I mean huge hills....... so flatter might be the way to go to start. Right?

Yup.

KSH - if you have the base it takes about 6 months to do a decent job of training for IM. I take 8 months but that's so I can fit in 2 build cycles and race cycles.

[colby]

You guys are making it harder and harder to say I couldn't do an IM in a year, but it seems totally crazy to have done a couple of sprints, a marathon, a few HMs, whatever I do this year, then go straight into IM... nuts I tell you.

I'm really debating HIM this year. I think i could do July or August. I'm just concerned that I have no training plans, I'm doing it all on my own. Maybe that's not so bad...

So, KSH, if you're not convinced yet, I just about am... ;)

[KSH]

You guys are making it harder and harder to say I couldn't do an IM in a year, but it seems totally crazy to have done a couple of sprints, a marathon, a few HMs, whatever I do this year, then go straight into IM... nuts I tell you.

I'm really debating HIM this year. I think i could do July or August. I'm just concerned that I have no training plans, I'm doing it all on my own. Maybe that's not so bad...

So, KSH, if you're not convinced yet, I just about am... ;)

Colby, DO AN HIM this year! DO IT! It's laying the base for an IM.

My HIM is in October.

I have a coach... so that's my training plan. Now, I just have to do everything he tells me to do. He gives me one rest day a week, yet somehow I always end up with two. Oopss!

Otherwise, if you join Beginner Triathlete and pay a small fee for the Bronze plan, you can have access to training plans made by a coach. It would be money well spent and cheaper than a coach (although mine is only $85 a month- and he gives me weekly training plans).

Once you get a HIM under you, you can make the decision on the IM. Your HIM will be earlier enough in the year that you can probably find an M Dot IM for 2008.

As for me, unless I do a non-M Dot IM, I can't do an IM until 09.

[colby]

Colby, DO AN HIM this year! DO IT! It's laying the base for an IM.

My HIM is in October.

I have a coach... so that's my training plan. Now, I just have to do everything he tells me to do. He gives me one rest day a week, yet somehow I always end up with two. Oopss!

Otherwise, if you join Beginner Triathlete and pay a small fee for the Bronze plan, you can have access to training plans made by a coach. It would be money well spent and cheaper than a coach (although mine is only $85 a month- and he gives me weekly training plans).

Once you get a HIM under you, you can make the decision on the IM. Your HIM will be earlier enough in the year that you can probably find an M Dot IM for 2008.

As for me, unless I do a non-M Dot IM, I can't do an IM until 09.

Good advice, KSH. I'm a little concerned that July 8th would be too soon, otherwise I'd sign up for IM 70.3 in Lake Stevens, WA, which isn't TOO far from where I live. I don't mind traveling across the state. There is a HIM locally, small race, August 5th. There are at least one or two more within decent driving distance, the latest being September 15th. I am crazy and would like to run the marathon again at the end of November, so I guess I have to be careful about going too late.

Hmm, food for thought... could I really ramp up by July 8th, today being April 18th? That's 3 months, or 11 weeks. Seems tight. August 5th might be better, another 4 weeks. Plus I'd get to sleep in my own bed the night before. ;)

If I did an Iron race, I would love to do IMCdA, which means I'd also get to sleep in my own bed the night before. That's June 24th, and last year it sold out in two days. That means if I want in, I'd signing up this year before I even do a HIM. Of course, if we follow the Tri Girl model of "just do it" signups, that doesn't matter. :) What a serious commitment. I'm usually a last minute commitment type of person (bad colby).

If I didn't sign up, I'd be in the non-Mdot for 2008 and committing like you in 2009 if I wanted Mdot.

[Tri Girl]

KSH- I'm on the planning committee for the Redman this year, and it's going to be a fanstastic race (yet, again)!!! You could always sign up for IMFL for next year and do the half Redman as a training race.... (man- I'm really pushing this Redman, huh?) :p

Yeah, I've heard LP is very hilly, but I hear that some people actually like hills (not any people I know, but some phantom weridos out there surely do). FL would be a great race- I've heard nothing bad about it (and who doesn't like being near the ocean?).

[Starfish]

Yup.

KSH - if you have the base it takes about 6 months to do a decent job of training for IM. I take 8 months but that's so I can fit in 2 build cycles and race cycles.

How would you describe/quantify a decent base for IM training?

[KSH]

Good advice, KSH. I'm a little concerned that July 8th would be too soon, otherwise I'd sign up for IM 70.3 in Lake Stevens, WA, which isn't TOO far from where I live. I don't mind traveling across the state. There is a HIM locally, small race, August 5th. There are at least one or two more within decent driving distance, the latest being September 15th. I am crazy and would like to run the marathon again at the end of November, so I guess I have to be careful about going too late.

Hmm, food for thought... could I really ramp up by July 8th, today being April 18th? That's 3 months, or 11 weeks. Seems tight. August 5th might be better, another 4 weeks. Plus I'd get to sleep in my own bed the night before. ;)

If I did an Iron race, I would love to do IMCdA, which means I'd also get to sleep in my own bed the night before. That's June 24th, and last year it sold out in two days. That means if I want in, I'd signing up this year before I even do a HIM. Of course, if we follow the Tri Girl model of "just do it" signups, that doesn't matter. :) What a serious commitment. I'm usually a last minute commitment type of person (bad colby).

If I didn't sign up, I'd be in the non-Mdot for 2008 and committing like you in 2009 if I wanted Mdot.

I say do the on HIM in August.... maybe a non-M dot for 08 and a M dot in 09?

Let us know what you decide, but you can do that HIM Colby!

[KSH]

KSH- I'm on the planning committee for the Redman this year, and it's going to be a fanstastic race (yet, again)!!! You could always sign up for IMFL for next year and do the half Redman as a training race.... (man- I'm really pushing this Redman, huh?) :p

Yeah, I've heard LP is very hilly, but I hear that some people actually like hills (not any people I know, but some phantom weridos out there surely do). FL would be a great race- I've heard nothing bad about it (and who doesn't like being near the ocean?).

Hee-hee... I will NOT be ready this year I'm afraid. It would have to be 08.

FL is a strong consideration for 09.

[colby]

I say do the on HIM in August.... maybe a non-M dot for 08 and a M dot in 09?

Let us know what you decide, but you can do that HIM Colby!

I have the Triathlete mag with the IM preview, the HIM in Cancun in September sure is looking tempting... ;)

I looked at the preview for IMWA too, wow, it looks nice. That'd be a cool '08 or '09 race. A little bit of a temperature adjustment, though, winter here starts in November and it'd be summer down under. Probably easier for you ladies a little farther south than I am.

Boy, come June and IMCdA, it's going to be a tough decision. There is at least one Iron-distance non-Mdot in the area in August, so if I'm not comfortable signing up for the true Ford Ironman Blah Blah Blah experience, I will be able to do that one, or skip it and be Iron in 09.

[KSH]

I have the Triathlete mag with the IM preview, the HIM in Cancun in September sure is looking tempting... ;)

I looked at the preview for IMWA too, wow, it looks nice. That'd be a cool '08 or '09 race. A little bit of a temperature adjustment, though, winter here starts in November and it'd be summer down under. Probably easier for you ladies a little farther south than I am.

Boy, come June and IMCdA, it's going to be a tough decision. There is at least one Iron-distance non-Mdot in the area in August, so if I'm not comfortable signing up for the true Ford Ironman Blah Blah Blah experience, I will be able to do that one, or skip it and be Iron in 09.

Those all sound very tempting.

I will let you know though, that the race in Cancun will be HUMID. Down there, the humidity is unbelieveable. If you aren't use to it, it might be a hard race.

Well, let us know what you decide lady!