Quote Originally Posted by knapplaura View Post
I read some of your blog, and am so impressed that you dropped 90+ minutes on your IM time from CDA to AZ this year. What do you think made the difference, and did you train differently in between races?
hey, laura! congrats on a fantastic finish! april was MISERABLE, i'm so happy for you that you got the chance to do nov's race and that you did so well!

regarding the training... this was my fourth im. i did cda in june and it was my slowest time of the first three and i was disappointed. granted, i had a really tough training cycle that time (sick a bunch, a biopsy scare) but after the race i felt like i hadn't "left it all out there" and since i'd signed up for imaz - i decided to do try to see what i could do.

one of my problems was that i would get to the run and i was so tired, i didn't have that extra umph to keep going, so i'd walk or chat with people on the course - totally unfocused. this time around i did a whole bunch of interval training. speedwork at the track, speedwork on my bike. i really feel like it helped get me past that mental fear of the pain and helped me to push through when it got tough out there.

plus, too, the training cycle was shorter - i started training in earnest for imaz mid-august, which gave me 13 or so weeks vs. the 20 that i did for cda. i think, if you have a good base built up, the shorter cycles are better. AND i didn't do a whole lot of LONG LONG stuff. one 6 hour ride, 3 x 5:30, 1 18 mile run (2:45), 2 x 2:30...

send me an email if you want more info! and again, a huge congrats!!! it was such a beautiful day out there!