Redemption-105 Days to the Ironman

I went slower at the NYC Tri than I expected to.

I went slower in practice on the Half Ironman course than I expected to.

Was I losing my edge?
Was I getting slower?
Was it a mistake to register for an Ironman?

The Friday before my second race (the Mossman Triathlon), I noticed my wheels were rubbing against the break pads.

Brought the bike in to the shop.

The wheels have rubber where the axle meets the bike frame and that needs lubing.

IT'S THE BIKE STUPID!

Armed with this knowledge I went out and did Mossman.

The swim was in the ocean and my first thought was, "I'm never doing this again"
Out of the water in 30 minutes, run up the beach adn onto the bike

(Ok, maybe I'll do this one more time)

Off the bike in 91 minutes average speed of 16.5

(as apposed to NYC at 14.8)

I pushed hard on that bike course. My thigh felt like two weights were sitting on them.

All the time the bike spedometer was dormant, so I had no idea how I was doing.

I start the run and my knee aches, but I know from practice that I can work through this.

1 hour and 15 minutes later I finish.

I am triumphant.

I have finished ten minutes faster than NYC and I have solved the problem of speed on the bike. I am confidant that I will be ready for the Ironman.

Here I am afterwards with my friend Mordy, whom I drag into doing this race.

Cycling the Century-115 Days to go

For cyclist there is a bench mark.
It's called a Century
Biking a 100 miles in the space of a day
For me it was a necessity.
(Why?)
Because the bike portion of the Ironman is 112 miles.
(So, you can do that, right?)
I can, but there is a time cut off. From the beginning of the race, until I get off the bike, I have 10 hours.
I need 90 minutes for the swim and another 10 to get dressed afterwards.
That leaves me 8 hours and 20 minutes.
I have to be averaging 14 miles an hour to make the cut off.
So...
I needed to know if I could do it and how long it would take

(and how much food I would need to carry with me.)

As for the food:

I can carry 4 water bottles on my bike.
Three have electrolyte solution in them, the forth has a protein/carbohydrate drink in it.
(And solid food?)
Two Cliff Bars in the pocket of my bike shirt. I froze two of my water bottles the night before. As they defrosted, the moisture started blowing on me and I thought it was a raining on me.

(Where did you go?)

I went straight up Teaneck rd until I hit Piermont NY. There I got on 9W.
Up the hilll I climbed, down the other side I went sailing.

At the bottom was the Tappan Zee Bridge.
Continue passed TOGA Bikes onto the Bear Mountain Bridge

(Where you stopped for a picture)
Where I stopped for a picture, before heading onto West Point Military Academy. At the 50 mile mark I turned around and headed home.

That was the route. I left home at 5:45 am and I returned at 2pm. 8 hours, & 15 minutes

(13.6 miles per hour)

There must be a way to get faster...