Jan's Ironman Blog #1

Time to start my personal journey on training for yet another IRONMAN at almost 60 years of age. My goal is to blog it, for several reasons:

To justify my spending time and money on my 7th IM (5 in Wisconsin and 2 in Hawaii) because it will cut into my work and brain energy to think about Gear West as I start jumping on the training in July and August;

I will keep more abreast of what is happening in the triathlon world (helpful for business). I have raced tri’s for a very long time, from 1983 till now. Lots of change has occurred. As I have told many who look at my ancient 1985 Hawaii IM pictures, power bars were not invented and neither were aero bars, clipless pedals, comfy bike seats, bikes that fit women and so much more. I would not send my worst enemy out on what I road thru Kona in 1985, but some how we all managed and did it;

I will force myself to learn how training technology can help. I am using Anthony Jagielo outpacecoaching@gmail.com for coaching and of course he wants me to use a Garmin, a heart rate monitor, a power meter and understand how to download all that stuff! I have never used any of that in the past, including compression socks and an aero helmet. But it is time to improve gadgets that help me as my body slows down;

Which brings me to my last and most interesting goal, to learn how to best train for an IM at 60. I have randomly done IM’s in the past, and if I wanted to win my age group, doing Hawaii again at age 44 was rather stupid. My goal this year is to do as well as I can, as the youngest in my age group. To do so and reduce injury, training must change. Although

I am fortunate not to have avoided knee or hip replacements unlike many of my peers, I have to train VERY carefully. My knees become VERY sore, my SI joint pinches me at times, and I could go on and on about how I have to ease into activity and recover a long time from what used to be routine workouts and races.

So! My thoughts to navigate training this summer and to how to better take care of myself (within financial reason) is to do things which require more discipline than I have used in the past. Such as, training with STUFF (technology + food aids), eating less SUGAR, valuing SLEEP and using time more wisely so I get more sleep, adding a well thought out STRENGTH routine into my weekly training, STRETCHING and ROLLING to reduce achy areas, buying less coffee to save money for more MASSAGE and CHIRO work, and to have a good ATTITUDE to enjoy the journey (once again). Gratitude is key. I am fortunate that I can embark on another IM again and to get to enjoy lake swimming, and riding hills with the summer wind and sun and traversing soft trails under a canopy of trees. All of this, someday in a rocking chair, I will only be able to remember and imagine.

So enough for my first blog!

Join me if you can.

- Jan Guenther