Quote Originally Posted by Running Mommy View Post

Yep! I do the SAME THING! Some people have planned "stops" on the bike, but I don't. I only stop if I absolutely need something- or to go potty. I figure coasting at 10 mph while I fish something out of my bento, or refill a bottle is still faster than stopping. And when I'm on the run if I must walk, then I tell myself to walk with purpose. This year I had someone come by me and say "MAN! You have a fast walk pace!"... Yeah, it's not suppose to be a stroll.

Yes, I'm slow and prolly always will be. I just don't think thick girls are mean't to be fast. At least not THIS thick girl. I've lost 13 lbs in the last five weeks, and while I'm looking better, I'm still thick. Just a smaller version of a stump...

But I do have time goals, and I do try to get faster. I'm starting to see time gains in my riding. Last year I was riding between 15-16 mph average, now I'm at 16-17 mph. Hopefully as the weight disappears the speed will re-appear. But I have no dillusions of pulling off a 5 hour bike split at IMAZ 08.
But dang it if I'm not gonna try.

You know, I think that's the difference between people who "do" an Ironman, and people who ARE (because it's in their dna) an Ironman. An Ironman goes out there and does their very best for that given day. They leave it out on the course.

They respect the race for what it is. And to them, it's not just a fad...
Well, I do see myself having to get off the bike 2 or 3 times on the course. Quickly, but I will need some rest stops. Honestly, I don't think my back/butt/neck could hold up 112 miles without getting off and stretching. But, I'll have to be quick because 10 minutes too long might mean me not finishing in 17 hours.

You have lost 13 pounds... AWESOME! Congrats!

A 16-17 average is good! And if you can ride 112 miles in training at that pace you can do it on the course too.

I hear ya about respecting the race. I found this post on my other forum to a thread about who signed up for IMKY 08:

I watched the race Sunday and stuck around Monday to register. It looked like an absolute blast. This will be my first IM attempt. To be honest, I've never swam and I start swim lessons next Tuesday. I'm going to signup for a 1/2 IM next July. I've never done a tri as I just started biking this year. There was just way too much energy down there though for me not to give it a shot! See you there!
OK, so this person who has NEVER swam, NEVER done a tri... and who just started biking THIS year... signed up for an IM.

What the heck is this guy thinking? I think he just got caught up in the moment and went with it. But I don't think he respects the distance. It's not as easy as he may have thought it looked.

I guess I also get kind of irked when people don't respect doing tri's in general and show this through haphazard training. You know the ones... "OH! I'm going to do a tri"... but yet they don't train for it. There is a journey to race day. Being a triathlete isn't just racing... it's training too. People who don't think that they need to train... well it kind of disrespects the sport.