The Ironman Dream

My bucket list includes competing on Survivor, completing an Ironman, and winning my fantasy football league. Two of these rely on luck, but finishing an Ironman takes discipline and willpower. Just earlier this week, on a whim, I signed up for the Toronto Triathlon Festival at the Olympic distance, which is just 12 weeks away.

Why Now?

A few days ago, I became the proud owner of a road bike I found on Facebook Marketplace. Special thanks to my friends and the folks at Enduro who helped validate whether the price matched the quality of the bike. Thankfully, it did. Their confidence helped me pull the trigger on the purchase, setting the wheels in motion (pun intended) for my Ironman dream.

I had been contemplating the Muskoka Half Ironman, but that's only nine weeks away. A Half Ironman consists of a 1.2-mile swim, a 55-mile bike ride, and a 13.1-mile run. In my current condition, I doubt I could get my legs bike-ready in time for such a challenge.

However, a competitive 1.5 km swim, 40 km bike, and 10 km run with 12 weeks of preparation feels much more manageable. I'm a strong swimmer, or at least I used to be, and I'm confident I can get my form back. I just ran a marathon. Now I need to develop these quads to handle the bike.

I used to do triathlons as a kid, and every time, without fail, I would watch my lead slip away as stronger cyclists passed me. This time, I intend to change that. If I'm going to lose my lead, let it be on the run.

My Goals

My goal is to finish in the top 5 within my age group. Based on last year's results, that means finishing in a time of 2:26:00. I believe that's achievable if I hit the following splits:

• Swim: 25 minutes (1:40/100m pace)
• Bike: 70 minutes (34.2 km/h)
• Run: 42.5 minutes (4:15/km pace)

That adds up to 2:17:30, which leaves me with approximately 8.5 minutes of wiggle room for transitions.

My Plan

My plan isn't fully concrete yet, but here's what my current training schedule looks like. One challenge will be making sure I go to bed early enough to train in the mornings.

This adds up to roughly:

• 2 hours of HIIT
• 2 hours of swimming
• 6 hours of cycling
• 5.5 hours of running

That totals about 15.5 hours of training per week. The volume might be a bit high, but I only need to sustain it for 2.5 months.

Final Thoughts

Typing out this blog was tough. I want to do well, and stating my goals publicly feels vulnerable.

What if I don't hit my target time? What if I get a flat tire? Which section will I fall short in? What if I don't finish in the top 5?

I know these thoughts will stay with me from the start of the race until the end. Hopefully, those what-ifs never come to pass. We'll find out on July 27th.

Stay tuned for more updates on my Ironman journey!