Ironman Arizona is so close I can taste it!  Kinda.  I mean, I’ve been busting my butt for 18 weeks, with no fewer than 10 workouts a week, mostly two-a-day workouts, all while the temperature in Central Texas found its triple-digit groove.  So we must be getting close, right?  Well… no.  With Week 18 in the books, it marks the HALFWAY point of my 36-week training plan.  I’m not sure why it sounded like a good idea to take on such a long, demanding regimen*, but it sure feels like the race should be coming up.  For perspective, my go-to advanced marathon training plans are 18 weeks long.  My body is ready to race!  And yet we’re still in the “base building” phase of this thing.

*Oh, right, because it’s an Ironman…

Week 18 was a bit of a relief in training.  Most of the workouts were relatively gentle, especially compared to the brutal week before.  I know I”m making progress though when five hours of workouts on the weekend is “gentle”.  These next 18 weeks are going to really push me to the limit.  And I can’t wait.

Eighteen weeks down, eighteen weeks to go!