Time's Up!

This is it. It's time. Today makes one week to Ironman Canada. One week from today, I hope to be calling myself an Ironman. Of course, it might be a week from midnight when I do it, but still. My bib number is 2483. Strange. My bib number from last year was 2384. That is just weird.

You would think with me being in full taper that I would have had time to add to my blog. No such luck. I don't know how the rest of the blogging world does it. I simply cannot train for an Ironman, work full time, and still find time to blog. I've darn sure had precious little time to read anyone elses blog. My thanks and my apologies to those of you that stop by occasionally to see if there are any updates only to be disappointed. I have several posts started (usually as it relates to my training), but none I've been able to finish. I'm not sure I'll ever get them posted.

Oh, yeah. I turned 50 last Wednesday. Funny thing about that. Remember that Tanita scale post? The one that gives us our relative age? Well, while I was busy turning 50 chronologically, the Tanita scale was busy turning back the clock on me and I turned 30...even 29 in there somewhere. Yeah!

One other funny thing about it. My mother always told me that life begins at 40 and even at 20 I believed her. Once I turned 40, I agreed with her whole-heartedly. So, for my 50th birthday, Darcy gives me a card that tells me "since life begins at 40, that means you are only 10 YEARS OLDS!" Yeeehaaaaw! I'm only 10. When I mentioned this to someone else, they asked if I would have to go through puberty again. Oh, Lordy. Thanks. I think I'd rather face menopause than go through puberty again. Looks like I'll be staying 50. But, I have to admit, I'm more fit at 50 (even though I still weigh 10 or 20 pounds too much) than I ever was at 40, 30, or even 20.

So, I admit that, while I am significantly better prepared this year compared to last, I'm still more than a little anxious about this race. I have some high expectations of myself, like actually finishing the damn thing. However, since I'm one for numbers, let me share a few with you.

	Swim (yds)	Hours	Bike (mi)	Hours	Run (mi)	Hours
2006	118700	54:46	2315.0	168:33	466.7	89:11
2005	141500	63:12	1253.3	95:37	403.9	80:12
Variance	-22800	-8:26	+1061.7	+72:56	+62.8	+8:59

I have quite obviously added traded off some of my swimming time for time on my bike. While I did have fewer yards swimming, I had significantly more miles cycling. Another interesting point. While I didn't have that many extra hours of running this year over last, the time it took to put in the extra miles is significantly less. To help compare and contrast, below is a table of my average times this year compared to last.

	Swim (min/100 yds)	Bike (mph)	Run (min/mile)
2006 Avg. Pace	2:47	13.7	11:27
2005 Avg. Pace	2:40	13.1	11:47
Variance	-0:05	+0.6	-0:27

It must be noted that the above table should be taken with a grain of salt. There are so many variables in the mix. For example, you'll notice I'm 5 seconds per yard slower in the swim this year than last year. However, I spent more time doing kick sets this year than I did last year. On the bike, it shows I'm only a little more than half a mile per hour faster, but it doesn't show what the average terrain was or weather conditions. The only place where the comparison is more indicative of my improved readiness and fitness is on the run. While it's true, I only show a 30 second per mile improvement, over a marathon distance, that adds up to being a full 8 (almost 9) minutes faster.

So, all there is left to do is launder my workout clothes and pack my gear. I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Time is up. There is no more training to be done. There are some short workouts left, yes, but that's just to keep the proverbial pump primed. Training time has come and gone. Now I must have faith in my coach that my training will carry me through the day (especially through the bike and onto the run course). Wish me luck?