Boulder Ironman 70.3

I've been training this summer for the Boulder Ironman 70.3, that's a half ironman distance.  I did my first half ironman last year and my goal for this year was to really improve my swim and take a little off my total time.  I really was using it to prepare for a full ironman next year and know that my swim is the area that needs the most work.  Things just didn't come together as hoped.  My swimming hasn't progressed the way I've wanted.  I'm just not figuring it out yet.  I had hoped that I could shave maybe 10 to 15 minutes off my swim time.  By the time race day came around I knew that wasn't realistic but I still was pretty confident that I could get at least 5 minutes better than last year.

I started the swim off well and felt strong through the swim.  I got out of the water and found that I'd only bested my time last year by 1 minute.  I was really bummed.  My bike went well and I did as well as last year.  This run was brutal.  I was in the very last wave of swimmers and didn't start until an hour and fifteen minutes after the first wave. Not starting until so late meant that it was really hot, over 95 degrees, on the run and by afternoon the wind picked up, ther.e were white caps on the boulder resevoir.  All in all I ended up 5 minutes slower than last year.  It wasn't what I was hoping for, but I know that I put everything out there.

I'm planning to focus on running this fall.  I want to run a sub 3 hr marathon and feel that it is a goal well within reach.  I ran a 3:02 a few years ago.  Running probably isn't what I should be focused on right now, I should be swimming lots instead, but it is what I enjoy most.  Right now the idea of getting up at 5 AM and running for a few hours each morning in the dark and cold sounds pretty theraputic.  Let's see if I'm still saying that in January...

-Jake