The Plan....

So now that I have a tri-worthy bicycle, I think it's ok to layout my tentative plan for end of '06 and beginning of '07. Though I'd always hoped to do a few triathlons next year, planning one without a bike is kind of like planning a trip to the shore without suntan lotion.

In a nutshell, I like to do 1 race per month... it keeps me motivated without cutting severely into family time. It's interesting reading over triathlete blogs and seeing how many people are trying to train for Ironman competitions while their family is being left behind. Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me.

I know I can do a good job in an Olympic length triathlon while keeping my house in order. I think the *potential* exists to do a half-Ironman without my wife and kids forgetting who I am. But a full Ironman? No way, so I'm putting that idea on the back burner for a few years.

(And if you've had a better or worse experience, feel free to comment -- this isn't a training issue, though. This is how I think *my family* situation would be affected by *my training.* As always, your mileage may vary.)

So, keeping in mind that an Olympic length triathlon would be the apex of '07 and the effort of that event is somewhat comparable to a half-marathon, I'm planning on an '07 that gets no more intense than those events.

Off the top of my head, here's what I'm thinking:

1.) Jingle Bell Run (5k) in December
2.) Tri for Kids Sake (Spring Triathlon) in April
3.) Got the Nerve? Mini Triathlon, May
4.) Lancaster County Triathlon - Olympic Length - June or July (not sure it's been announced yet)

Then there's also the Harrisburg Triathlon and the Lancaster YMCA Triathlon (both Olympic lengths) that take place in the late summer, early fall, as well as the Half-Wit HM in Reading (13 miles over insane trails) and the Hands-on-House HM next fall.... as I see the dates line up, I'll pick events to focus on.

All of which means I need to make a trip to the running store and find some road races for Jan-March, but otherwise I'm thinking 07's going to be a fun year.

Had a nice run last night, though I cut it a bit short because of knee pain... sooo glad I've got the bike, now... showers are threatening all day, but I'm crossing my fingers for a noon-time ride.

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