Hello, old friends. It has been over seven months since my brother and I crossed the finish line in one of our greatest accomplishments to date.
So, where are we now?
You know that star QB on your high school football team who is now 30 years post-grad, cracking open a Budweiser or Coors (heavy, of course), still wearing his State Championship ring and letterman’s jacket and talking about “the glory days” when he threw a 60 yard pass to the end zone? Yeah. That’s how I feel.
About a year ago, I not only showed up and committed to taking on my first Ironman triathlon, but I also pledged to use an unconventional training program that focused on strength training and shorter distances at higher intensities.
The program is called Crossfit Endurance (CFE), and now that I’ve got my first Ironman in the books, I can say to you without a shred of doubt that it works.
But back then, I didn’t know it was going to work, so I spent hours researching CFE Ironman training plans to make sure I was headed in the right direction.
I found a lot of helpful resources and great advice – which you’ll read about later on – but I was never able to find a comprehensive, detailed training plan that didn’t require some form of payment or subscription.
To remedy that, for anyone in the same position I was in, I’m going to share my complete training logs, workout routines and resources, for free.
In this article, you’ll also read why I decided to go the CFE route (rather than the more conventional Long Slow Distance (LSD) approach), see what resources I used to help formulate my program and learn key tips to keep in mind when following CFE.
To begin, let’s take a look at the main reasons I opted for a Crossfit Endurance program, rather than LSD.
Here you have it: proof that we didn’t run off to Belize with the revenue generated from our Tri for Les: IMAZ edition t-shirts
The Tri for Les community donated a grand total of $416.33 to the Arizona Humane Society in honor of our animal-loving aunt Leslie.
We dropped off the check the day after our big race (notice the tired in our eyes in the photos here).
Here’s an idea of what the donation amount will cover:
We’re happy to have been able to give something back during our Ironman journey, and lucky to have such a generous crew in our corner.
Thanks to everyone who bought a shirt, rocked it on race day and otherwise supported the cause.
You guys rule! Be sure to remember that every time you wear, see or daydream about these shirts.
– Live every day –
Adam and Cecily
Three weeks ago, I crossed the finish line at Ironman Arizona in 13:30:18 and accomplished my biggest goal of the year: to become an Ironman.
The race was one of the best experiences of my life and I still haven’t come down from that high.
I frequently brag talk about the feat to anyone who’ll pretend to listen, replay the day in my head, and scroll through finisher photos, articles and notes from the race.
As much as I’m tempted to keep basking in my Ironman glory, I need to keep moving if I want to make this experience truly last.
Similar to my excitement at the beginning of the year to conquer Ironman Arizona, I can’t wait to build on this momentum and launch into new projects and races on the horizon.
But before moving on to what’s next (which I’ll detail in another article), I’m going to share analysis of my performance at Ironman Arizona.
By evaluating my performance and sharing the gory details, I hope to not only cement the takeaways in my head, but also offer insight to help other Ironmen in training.
Read on for an updated report of my taper week, analysis of the swim, bike and run, plus major lessons learned from drinking too much sports drink (hint: lots of time wasted in the Port-o-Potty) and failing to plan for the first few hours after the race (hint: a cold, stiff, delirious and cranky Adam).
“It’s been said that the Ironman marathon is the place where you meet yourself – inner voices that never existed before suddenly roar, weaknesses neglected in training become painfully clear, and new reserves of strength manifest themselves in awe-inspiring ways.” – Susan Lacke
This quote says it all. There’s a lot that can happen during the 13-17 hours you spend on the Ironman course. Just like in training, you’ll experience low points that leave you questioning your decision to sign up for this thing as well as adrenaline-filled highs that remind you exactly why you did. The roller coaster ride of emotions reaches it’s apex in that 200 meter finish line chute, the end of which immediately leaves you craving more and asking yourself “what now?“
To wrap things up (for this season), I’ll lay out my highlights from each leg of IMAZ as well as my plans moving forward to answer that “what now” question.