Peak Performer at 77

If you always do, what you always did, then you will always get, what you always got.

I have been a self-coached, age group triathlete for 34 years. And each of these years have been remarkably similar. I have trained in the same manner, repeatedly competed in the same group of races, and generally achieved the same results. This triathlon season I am doing several things differently with the ambition of getting different and better results.

The question I repeatedly ask myself is “How bad do you want to be good?”

Ironman 70.3 North Carolina, October 23, 2021, Wilmington, N.C., is my “A” race for this season and I am all in for this race.

Endurance sports brings me great pleasure. I enjoy challenges and doing epic stuff. But for HIMNC, I have a new focus in my training. Including transitions, based on my goal time of 6 hours and 30 minutes, I will burn approximately 5725 calories. One may carbo load 2-3 days before their race and you may have stored about 2500 calories in your tanks at the starting line but these 2500 calories are not enough for a half ironman competition. However, through a several step math computation, I can calculate that I should hit the DREADED WALL at about mile 31 on the bike.

The wall is when your body has burned the 2500 calories you started the race with which means I have 25 more miles on the bike followed by a 13.1 mile half marathon. My goal is to do the remaining 25 bike miles and 13 run miles in 4 hours. This translates to 806 calories required for each of the remaining 4 hours. That’s a lot of energy drinks and gels.

I noted earlier that I am all in for this race and I am training for it differently. My goals within my GOAL are to minimize the effects of the DREADED WALL and to finish strong with a minimum of pain and suffering.The purpose of this blog/website, is to provide the age-group triathlete with the most current training information. The site’s organization is holistic and draws upon the current thinking regarding training, nutrition and mental toughness.

My action plan contains the following elements:

80/20 training; more specifically, aerobic effort is 80 percent and the remaining 20 percent is anaerobic

a nutritional plan based on becoming fat adapted

resistance/strength training (I hate strength/resistenance)

mental training which focuses on developing mental toughness

Each of the above are explained by the original sources which influence me. My plan is dynamic and flexible as a function of listening to the messages from my body.

The body does not want to do this.

As you train it tells you to stop but you must be strong.

You always go too far for your body.

You must handle the pain with strategy.

It is not age. It is not diet.

It is the will to succeed.

The will to succeed is important but the will to prepare is Paramount.

Train your body, your mind, and free your Spirit.