To Tri or Not to Tri?
Today, August 3rd, 2015, the registration for volunteering at the Ironman Arizona (IMAZ) in November 2015, opened up. Why is this so important? This is a very popular full distance Ironman and sells out quickly just to volunteers. This means that if I volunteer this year, then I get a first chance to register for the race next year. It is a relatively easy Ironman course and beginner-friendly. People might think I am crazy when I use “easy” and “Ironman” in the same sentence. I should take that back. There is really nothing easy with an Ironman triathlon, since the training itself is a difficult journey.
I decided to sign-up for a volunteer spot at this year’s IMAZ, Run Aid Station #5, from 12 to 3 pm. I will go out there to volunteer; but whether or not I register for the race next year will be a decision I will make on November 16th. I know I have only done two 70.3 distance triathlons, and that may not be enough for some people. I have the endurance for this type of event; it is just a matter of gaining the confidence and necessary skills on the bike to survive 114 miles of cycling. There are many things I have to work on, I have already listed at least 10 things after my last 70.3 distance at Barb’s Race (which can be summarized into three things). I will need to start working on them.
Why do I want to do this? I want to finish trying the different popular triathlon distances. I don’t want to make a career out of triathlons, as I am still a runner at heart. Yes, training for tri’s gave me good cross-training for running long distances. It’s not like I will quit swimming or biking; those activities will still be part of my training. Training for this grueling 2.4 mile swim, 114 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run, is a huge time commitment for training, sacrifice for the family (they always say this, but it is true), and quite a long journey to get to race day. Right now, I want to do this and finish triathlons. Then, I can get my focus back into running… trail running… ultra running! Yes!
UPDATE: I ended up not volunteering at IMAZ and pushed off doing a full Ironman, I am back at deciding whether or not I want to really do a full Ironman. I would rather run a 100 miles than do this triathlon.
