Having doubts....suggestions please.

What is the issue again?   I think you are selling the chicken before hatching the egg...    August is a long way from now and I believe that if you train smartly you will be ready.   I would suggest just DO IT man....  Be one of the few, an Ironman..

You only live once...  live it fully!!!  

cheers

I feel the same way you do.  As of right now my "A" race is FL 70.3, my first HIM.  I signed up to help raise money for wounded veterans. I find myself stressing a lot about missing training I think I'm worrying about it way to much and it's still 5 months away.  Sometimes it feels like training is more of a chore than anything.  I sometimes want to just say screw it and withdraw from the race and try and get some of my money back, but on the other hand I think, that when I do do the FL 70.3 the finish line is going to be that much greater, because I proved to myself I could do it.

Like someone has already said only you can decide but something told you to sign up for it.  Go with your first instinct go with your gut and hopefully it'll lead you in the right direction.

IMAZ April 08.  I'm scared shyteless and questioning my training and whether I can finish and whether I'll fall apart out there..... but I can't wait to do it.  I know it's going to be a long day, I am looking forward to just relishing the moment of being out there.  I am not planning on signing up for another one, but I know I will at some point. 

Things to look at.  Why did you sign up in the first place?  What's your HIM/long course experiences? 

It's hard to tell if you are stressed that you won't be trained and thus just want to get it over with because only then you know you could do it, or whether you don't really want to do it and just want it over with....... 

If it's really dread, life's too short, and no one but you really cares whether you do 140.6 or 70.3 or an Oly or a sprint, whatever.  If the 70.3 gets you pumped to train, drop it and do that.  IMs aren't going anywhere.

I agree with a previous poster...no one is holding a gun to your head and making you train for a full IM event. You have to ask yourself why you are doing it now......not a week or even a month before the race. Are you just doing it to check the block and say "I did an IM race?" or is it something more?

I personally gave up IM racing for awhile due to the fact that I don't want to spend that much time away from my little ones....I found that I can train and be competative at the HIM distance in about 10-12 hours a week and I am much happer and not stressed out about missing training vs missing my family.

IM isn't going anywhere, nothing says you have to do it this year or next or even the year after that. You aren't any less of a triathlete just because you haven't done an IM distance race, it's just a race (only it takes a hell of alot longer! ) The worst thing you can do is push yourself through this for the wrong reasons. Training for an IM is hard enough for the right reasons...

Good luck to you in whatever you decide to do.

If it isn't fun I would not do what it is necessary to prepare for the race.

I like training long so I look forward to the days of long long rides, long runs, well long swims hope I like them.

A wise friend said the training for an IM is harder than the race itself.

If you won't enjoy the journey to an IM, why do it?

Doing it to get it over with doesn't seem like the best reason.

My blog title is "know your reasons" and until you know why you want to do an IM and feel those reasons are good & fun motivation to do all you need to do to prepare, it is a big investment of time, effort and money just to do it.

Only you can answer for yourself what is right, but what your wrote is telling a lot of how you feel. 

If you don't have a strong "Why" as in "Why I want to accomplish my goal to complete an IM" then you have two choices...

 (1)Find your why  -or-

 (2)Adjust your goals to fit your current..why.   

 Your training will give you the confidence that is seems you need right now.   My A race is in August too, the IM Louisville, and I will just put in the time for training and just go for it.  You only get one chance to experience life, savior it and go out and claim what your mind and heart desires!

I have the 06 and 07 Kona races and the 07 IMFL races on my dvr. I watch them a lot, especially when I'm on my trainer and it's towards the end of a long ride, or a long day of work and life, or a long week of training, or whatever. I think I've also seen everything on youtube with ironman in the title at least once, if not 10 times.

I also talk to people about it, and not just triathlon people. It's kind of a joke at work now. "Well, you know I'm training for an Ironman so I think we should probably reboot the server." Everyone I know knows that I'm doing it, and I don't want to let them down, or embarrass myself.

That's part of what motivates me. 

As for missing a few workouts, it's in the past, it doesn't matter (stolen from the Lion King.) The way I look at it, you're going to get sick, tired, life and work will get in the way and you'll miss some workouts. Big deal. You miss 10 runs from now until August. At mile 18 you're going to be in a world of hurt whether you missed 10 or squeezed in an extra 10.

I worry about what I can control. I can test my nutrition. I can read everything ever written about an Ironman. I can make my training schedules and stick to them to the best of my ability. So that's what I do. This isn't my job, this isn't life or death. This is fun, and if you and I cross the finish line, then we've accomplished something that 99% of the population wouldn't even have the guts to dream about doing. And no one can ever take it away from you.

I was getting stressed out before my first IM and a friend of mine told me this:  "The IM is only as big as you make it in you mind."

Some else wrote, "It's just a race.  It's not like you're storming the beach at normandy!"

~Mike

Mac,

if training is not making you happy and you are not looking forward for the challenge don't do it. You can have more fun and train stress free training for 70.3 as a different challenge. There is a reason I haven't done an IM; cuz I don't want to 

As RM said, IM will always be there, and it would be better to do it when you are mentally ready for it.

I'm with the majority on this one; there is no race to the IM start line.  It sounds like you want to do the IM just to check it off the list rather than because you really want to do it.

The IM is a great challenge and lots of triathletes will race the distance at least once; however, it is not the only challenge in triathlon.  It seems that you enjoy the 70.3 races, so why not train for two of those this season, get faster over this distance and set yourself up in a better position to be able to complete IM training (physically and mentally) down the road. 

Shane

Wow, to be this stressed out in January for a race that isn't until August is nuts. Stop it.

First things first. You need to decide if an IM is something you really want to do. It kind of sounds like you don't really want it. No reason to do it if it's not something you really want.

Assuming you really do want to do the IM but all the doubt is just being caused by being overwhelmed by the training, that just takes a new perspective on the training...perhaps even a new training plan entirely.

The way I see it, you won't really start training for your IM until after your 70.3 on 5/18. You've got 11 weeks between those two races. To me, THAT is your focused IM training block...where most of your biggest IM training sessions will occur. Figure one recovery week after the 70.3, and a 2 to 3 week taper for your IM, that leaves you 7 to 8 weeks of solid training time (sounds like two blocks with one recovery week in between). Assuming you've already built your long rides up to at least 4 hours while training for the 70.3, and your long run up to at least 2 hours, I think that leaves you appropriate time to build your long bike up to 6-6.5 hours and your long run up to 3 hours before your IM.

That's the way I'd look at it. Get that idea out of your head that you're training for your IM already in January. Now you're just training to train. Now you're just getting your body and mind ready for that one last big push to IM, and that's really only a 7 to 8 week block of building big volume...and it doesn't start until the end of May!

So, relax. It's supposed to be fun...a challenging journey of discovery, but fun. I think it can be fun if you can rid yourself of the mental burden of training for an IM constantly for the next 6+ months. Let that go and give your mind a break so it's ready to tackle the real training to come, much later this year.

That's the way I see it anyway.

-Steve

As observed, August is months off.  After FL 70.3, you will have around 11 weeks before Vineman, which I believe most will agree is when the real deal training begins with the sessions getting longer and the time and energy commitment become greater.  Specifically, this 10 week run-up is when you really have to want to be an IM.  With FL 70.3, your base will in place and your body will be ready to do the peak phase.  Mentally, you may gain the necessary desire and perspective while training for your half.  My advice is to just wait and see over the next few months and use that time to answer your "why IM" question.

Judging by your signature and referenced film taste, I refer you Lance Armstrong's cameo in Dodgeball for some possible motivation.  If you are fit and physically able to do a 70.3 in May, you can do an IM August.  You don't now what the case may be next year.

Great Post.  This coming from a guy on a 36 week plan. But, I've incorporated this thinking into my overall philosophy.

Come to RI and hang out with all us New England Bters!

I can't speak from experience because I haven't committed to a full. But triathlons are a hobby, they are supposed to take away stress and add a little to the enjoyment of life. No race is worth the mental suffering you are going through...and it seems to be affecting you health.

Take a deep breath, get centered and let your feeling tell you what is best for you.

I started (serious, at least enough for me) training not quite a year out from my very 1st IM and second Tri.  I'm going to be 43 this year (2008) and did my first long race, a marathon, in May, 2007, then did my 1st Tri, a 1/2 IM, in July, then did IM Moo (WI) in Sept.

If I can do it, then YOU should be able to.  Have confidence in yourself.

If you feel that you need the additional time and training, then good for you for recognizing it and don't beat yourself up on it.

Good luck this year!

After careful deliberation, I decided to give up triathlon altogether and take up my new love of "beach metal detecting".

I kid.  Seriously, I spent quite a bit of time in quiet contemplation and as a result decided to push the full until 2009 for a few reasons.  First, as a teacher not working in the summer, the $1200 travel expense from Miami to CA would be quite a strain.  Second, I went online to my local race circuit page to browse my competition this year and found that I have a good shot of winning the whole damn season.  My competitive spirit was fired up and I couldn't wait to get out there and race the 6-8 races in the Miami circuit...something I could not have the time nor the $$ to do with a IM looming.  Third, I LOVED my 70.3 experience last year and want to do more of those again this year.  Lastly, as I told a friend earlier, I had to be honest with myself and realized I wanted the full under my belt more to prove to others rather than to enjoy the journey for myself.  Prolly not the best of motives; at least for me at this point.  Oh, another factor was that my school is going from a 8:30-4:45 schedule this year to a 7:30 - 2:30 schedule next year which will make getting those training hours in SO much easier.

In short, for all those above reasons, I substituted the full for the Rhode Island 70.3 which is also a summer race and will allow me to still have a mini vacation at a fraction of the cost since I can drive it in a day and a half.  Plus with the hundreds I'll save on airfare, I can catch the Sox in Fenway since they are in town that week!!  That gives me 2 halfs, a couple OLYs and a bunch of sprints that I can seriously compete in.  All of that sounds like so much FUN for me.

Thanks all!!  Twas not an easy choice, but I think it works for me

Let us know when you're up here. I work a few blocks from Fenway and there's a pretty big BT MA group, we can do a little BT meetup. I'll probably be volunteering at the RI 70.3. I'm signed up for a different 1/2 the weekend before else I'd be doing that one. Good luck with the Miami circuit!

DITTO to what Velasqu7 said.....

Don't overthink things........JUST DO IT!