Early season check

I have a reasonably good sense of my level of fitness most of the time. And today is no exception.

Yesterday was the First Half half marathon. While it has been three years since I last ran a half marathon - on its own, it was the 12th time that I've run the distance - at least as best I can determine.

When I ran this particular race in 2009, I was about 10 weeks into training for Ironman Canada and I was becoming race fit. I was super motivated. I was working hard on the treadmill to increase my foot speed. I had just run a super fast 10k and I ended up running a PB of 89:06. It was a huge confirmation of the direction I was heading.

In the intervening years, I've focused on triathlon for the most part and adding some year end marathons (Bellingham in 2010 and Victoria, plus the Whistler 50 miler, in 2011).

I still haven't found the key to success at the half marathon distance. Consistency, yes. But I struggle to get faster in part because I haven't really focused on it I suppose.

I wasn't expecting to set any records yesterday. I am fit but I don't feel anywhere near race fit. In my case, it's not just a question of confidence. I took weeks off training after the Whistler 50 and I eased back into training with 12 sessions of Bikram yoga in December. And I'm slowly becoming a triathlete again. Today marks my return to structured sessions.

My objective was to take it out slow and build mile through mile. I'll run the splits here in a moment. I knew I wasn't going to set a PB but of course I always eye the 90-minute mark as a solid read on where I am at. I was thinking 91-92 was more realistic.

7:21, 7:04, 6:58 (some downhill), 7:05, 7:04, 7:08, 7:04, 7:07, 7:07, 7:10, 7:21 (those hills in reverse), 7:11, 7:10 and then 39 secs for the final dash.

My net time was 93:30.

My analysis is that I need to train more. Ha!

And so I will. I'm happy with my level of fitness. I am fit. But I also know that I want to be MORE fit and it's time for me to invest the time and effort to become so.

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The guy who won my age group ran 1:12. I was 22nd out of 123. My pace was 4:26 per kilometre. It took me 11 seconds to cross the start line.

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Margreet ran a superb race. Not unexpected and yet you never know until you cross the finish line. She's been logging some huge volume the last six weeks and her endurance shows.

We were chatting about it on the way home after the race - she ran a PB of 87:27 and came second in her age group.

Pro women's field

In the wake of Chrissie Wellington's decision to take a year off Ironman - this year, I wrote two columns for ironman.com

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End of an era

Chrissie Wellington’s decision to take a year off from Ironman racing marks the end of an era.

Wellington races with an intensity few athletes, women or men, match. By all accounts, she trains the same way. That’s how elite athletes become elite; you can’t race at 110 percent if you train at 55 percent.

The end result of being the world’s fastest, and most dominant, woman Iron-triathlete these past five years is that there is little time or energy for anything else.

Taking a break from that regimented life could help extend her career. Or it could confirm to her that it’s time to move on. It’s a decision that all athletes must eventually take. And it’s an intensely personal one.

Originally from: http://ironman.com/profiles/timothy-moores-reflects-on-chrissie-wellingtons-retirement-and-a-lava-magazine-preview-that-includes-an-i#ixzz1lQgSDCKB

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Record(s) to fall

It's early, very early in the season and yet the dynamics for the pro women's field have been significantly altered. Chrissie Wellington opened the door the last few years for a rush of personal best performances by the elite of the elite with a sub-nine performance in Frankfurt in July 2008. Since then, 17 women have surged into the group.

The majority of those athletes are keen to show that their performances over the last four years weren’t a fluke.

Wellington’s decision to take this year off begs a few questions. Will a new world-best be set this season? Will more athletes finish a full-distance race under nine hours? Will more athletes finish sub 8:45? Will another athlete finish sub 8:30? Why not?

Originally from: http://ironman.com/columns/ironmanlife/timothy-moore-looks-forward-to-an-exciting-year-of-racing#ixzz1lQh2Dwmy