Signing up for an Ironman takes courage. Congratulations to those heading to Tempe in April to complete Ironman Arizona. For many, it will be their first. Today’s popularity of Ironman requires us to sign up a year in advance. Registering is exciting and the time available to train seems ample. With 6 weeks left, nerves begin to form and doubt may rear its ugly head. These are normal feelings that can be dealt with very easily. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. Here are a few things to help

Train Consistently
Long mileage workouts are important and key to developing endurance. However, life (responsibilities, family, work, etc…) often get in the way. No problem. Consistency in training is more important than quantity. Try to consistently workout throughout the week. Grouping all your workout mileage on the weekend may introduce injury. If you’re a weekend warrior and miss a weekend, you’re now 14 days behind. You may have lost up to 15% of your potential. Many small workouts are better than no workouts.

Focus on your game
Are you training yourself or are you training someone else? During the race, you may get passed. Let it go. You didn’t spend 6-9 months training that person. Focus on your game, your pace, your day, your body, your breathing, and your attitude. The race starts at mile 20 on the run. Everything up to this point is a warm up. If you race prior to this point, you will run out of energy. Reach mile 20 at a pace that you can maintain or increase through the end. Otherwise, prepare yourself for a death march. The second you take your focus away from you and place it on someone else, your game is over; it’s a matter of time before your gasket blows.

Be careful about setting time goals.
It’s good to have goals. By all means set time goals but be realistic and prepared to be disappointed. I’m not trying to discourage you. During the course of your Ironman, you will need to make 1000 decisions. “Am I going to fast? Am I going to slow? How do I feel? What do I take? When? Am I drinking enough? Am I drinking too much? As a general rule, your Ironman time can be calculated by doubling your average half Ironman time and adding an hour+. Why an hour+; fatigue.

I hope you all meet your time goals. Please be realistic and set time goals as a third priority following 1-Finish and 2-Have Fun.

Embrace your nervousness
If you’re not at least a little nervous on race day, you’re overconfident and ill prepared. Nervousness is normal, healthy, and should be a welcome feeling. 2.5 miles. 112 mile bike. 26.2 run. Nerves are a sign of anticipation. Why are you nervous? Because you are in a position to fail. Putting yourself there took courage. --- Only those who dare to fail miserably can achieve greatly." Robert F. Kennedy

Train Your Nutrition
Calories are like money. If you have none, you can’t go shopping. While competing at Ironman CDA, I remember looking at my watch at run mile 13 to see my calorie consumption to that point; 8900 calories. I could not eat enough calories to keep up with the burn rate. So where did the calories come from?

On race day, you will rely on calories as you do everyday with 1 huge exception; calorie source. You won’t carry a salad or steak and potatoes with you or be able to stop for a burger. Practice your fuel consumption and understand you will survive on a combination of 3 calorie sources:
1. what you ate up to race start (primarily dinner the night before and breakfast the morning of)
2. your calorie consumption throughout the day (bars, gels, liquids, PJs, etc…
3. your own body fat stores

Make sure you have enough to go shopping.

Check Your Equipment
Two-Four weeks out, ensure your equipment is race ready;
Bike is tuned
Fresh Tires/Tubes
Have spares and tools ready
Cleats screws are OK
Bike Computer/Heart Rate Monitor working

Reward Yourself
You have two transition bags (Swim-to-Bike and Bike-to-Run) and two Special Needs Bags (Bike and Run) that hold your gear. These are 4 opportunities to reward yourself for making in to this point in the race. Use these opportunities wisely by placing something to look forward to throughout the day. Here are something’s I’ve heard athletes put in their bags as reward:  Burrito  Chocolate\  Snickers/Milky way Bay  M&Ms  Jelly Beans  Frap chino (spelling?)  French Fries  Pizza  Oreo Cookies

Chip Away at the Stone
Don’t attack the entire race at once. Break down the swim to one buoy at a time. Enjoy the swim and avoid racing altogether. Don’t think about the rest of the race. Find someone you can draft and stay there. Let them pull you around the course. Find your groove and go to sleep. Don’t go to sleep literally. Go to sleep means you are in a comfortable rhythm that can be sustained for a long time.

The bike is 3 loops. Worry only about the loop you’re on. Eat, drink, and repeat. Stay comfortable. Enjoy the ride.

Run. I think the run will be 3 loops again this year. One mile at a time. Consider walking the aid stations. Save your legs for the race that starts at mile 20.

Let the race come to you.
Your training, taper, rest, nutrition, and flexibility combined with a little bit of luck will dictate your ability to be aggressive. Keep that aggressiveness in its holster and use it wisely. Let the day unfold and take advantage of opportunities that present themselves. Don’t make opportunities, they will drain you. This is an endurance event, not a sprint.