Rev 3 Cedar Point just around the corner
After Chicago, I travelled all the way to Ohio to meet up with AJ Baucco for a final week of solid training leading up to the race in Cedar Point, Rev 3 Ironman. A year ago, September 2010, I was yet to debut over the Ironman distance and now this will be my third.
The week in Cleveland rolled down really smooth. Swimming would be the main issue as the 50-m pool at CSU is closed and we hadn't thought of a plan B. AJ is from Cleveland and so thanks to his knowlage and buddies, we didn't miss a swim workout. In the proccess I got to meet James LaMastra, former swimmer and the local legend in Triathlon who has just turned pro and will be also racing in Cedar Point. Super nice guy. I also had the chance to stop by the notorious Spin Bike Shop who not only gave my Wilier a nice tune-up as it hosted a great BBQ for any rider that showed up. Of course this' a weekly event that most of the locals know about but came to me as something new. They push off for a ride at 610PM and have the BBQ right after. Rad. Running in Cleveland is the discipline of triathlon you can master the better as there are a ton of trails to explore. I guess I couldn't ask for more than what I found here. You can leave the rain out of the equation as after 4 days of extreme humidity and warm weather, today it looks like Lake Erie is pouring down on Cleveland with no regret.
The upcoming week is a typical taper one. Very few workouts, nothing long. I've had a disappointing year so far with lots of set backs and sharp turns but I hope I have found my path now and can get back to top of my game. Overall, I don't think I've climbed back to my very-best but I'm sure I'll trackle this race on my best shape possible considering my crash back in June. I think the race in Cedar Point will be a challenge with myself above the competition itself (isn't it always?). 12 months ago I never thought I could break 8h30 in a Ironman. At least, not before a few more years of work. I saw 8h30 as my goal time, I saw that as being fast. But somehow I accomplished that right on my first try. Today, I see it as a challenge again, break that 8h30 mark. The course is suitable for a fast time and I want that.. to go fast next sunday. If it means to get beaten my one, two, three, etc athletes, doesn't really matter. I just want to go fast and again feel like this' the distance I perform the best. I'm a strong believer that to break 8h10 on a Ironman, you need to be special. From then on, it's at a reach of any JoeDoe who is commited and works hard.
