Triathlons-an introduction

This web log is about my main pastime, triathlons. I have competed in 3 marathons, five half iron and two full iron triathlons. My goal is to complete a full distance triathlon at the same pace when I'm sixty as my time for my first one. A secondary goal is to run my fastest full distance triathlon when I'm sixty.

Like many athletes, I have struggled with injuries. Fortunately, I have a low threshold for pain and stop before I do any real damage. My knees are what have specifically caused persistent pain. Oddly, they ache the most when I'm peaking in my training and when I'm not training at all. I have been to six different doctors to figure out how to avoid permanently damaging my knees. Only one of those doctors told me I was crazy to do distance events. The others recommended the mundane remedies that everyone has heard of; stretching, strength training, icing, knee bands, orthotics and easing up on training. 

My most recent resumption has been fairly successful, but I'm very early in the training cycle. My next big race is, with luck, Ironman Wisconsin in September, 2009. It's a tough race to get into because it sells out so fast. The weather was really awful last year, but that was a total fluke. By training in Oregon, I should be able to really do well on the bike portion because of the hill training I can do here.

To avoid some of the mistakes of the past, I'm easing very slowly into the training and listening closely to all the advice that I seem to have studiously avoided in the past. Or that is to say, after four years of studying this sport, digesting and synthesizing it, I am finally getting a pretty solid concept on how to train for and compete long distance triathlons. 

Stay tuned to find out if this is just another early season self-delusion, or whether I've really learned some lessons and can get to the next personal level.