Single Anvil?

    In an apparent attempt to throw yet another rock in my cogs, another monkey in the wrench, it turns out that there is now an Iron distance triathlon at Hagg Lake in mid July. It is at the Double Anvil event (a double Iron distance race). Last year they only offered the Double and Triple Anvils. Yes, there are people crazy enough to do a 421.8 mile triathlon, as if 140.6 isn't crazy enough. So, I tracked down the even website, thinking of using the Double Anvil as a training goal for next year, since my hoped for A race this year was cancelled. Lo and behold, this year they are offering the Single Anvil. I am sorely tempted, and still wrestling with the idea. But I honestly don't think I can be ready for an Iron distance race in 4 months. I was expecting a late September race with a shorter run, knowing I could be ready for that with no worries. But to bump the timeline by 2 months and add 10 miles to the run, that puts me on the edge of difficulty. Could I do it? Yes. I know I could. Would I suffer? Yes. Granted, there is a level of suffering to all ultra endurance, but why add to what is already there.
    The one huge downside to doing either the single or double (or gods forbid, the triple) Anvils is that they are run on a fairly short course with multiple laps. The single consists of the 2 mile swim, then 11 laps around the lake for the bike, and 12 laps around a 2 mile course for the run. This would let you become well acquainted with the course, optimizing your efficiency. But it would also be boring as fuck. Both the 70.3 and the 250K that I have done were on a grand scale through beautiful, though steep country. One benefit of the Anvil races is that they are held at a Lake about an hour from me, and I could train on the course with regularity. But would I be ready to run a marathon in July? That is the kicker. Half marathon? No problem. Marathon? Not so easy-peasy.
    I am torn. Do I push myself and do 140.6 miles in July, eliminating most other fun races I want to run? Or keep to the plan of aiming for the 70.3 in September, beating my previous time by a solid hour, not having to beat the hell out of my body quite as badly, running some fun races with friends, all the while training myself to do the Double Anvil next year? Damn it. Decisions, decisions.
    I am leaning towards the Best in The West 70.3, and kicking my old finishing time to the curb. I have already found some fun races to run to get my body ready for some half marathons through the season. Trail runs, adventure races, and road runs. This will be a fun season, maybe not quite as obsessively focused as last season, but with a very tough end game in mind: Double Anvil 2016.

Respect The Distance

   I recently came to the conclusion that I have been depressed over my lack of money, and that it was likely going to make it very difficult to repeat a trip to do the Epic 250K. I have been wracking my brain trying to think of how to make it affordable. I thought maybe if I can scrape together the money for the entrance fee, then worry about the cost of the trip later this summer, that I might be able to swing it. Maybe. I decided to see exactly what the race fee was and came up against the even more depressing obstacle: The event has been CANCELLED.  Yes, you heard me right, Cancelled, with a capital C. Holybaldfacedpalomino, Batman, Cancelled? That really hit me where it hurts. Yes, I was beating myself up over the fact that it was going to be a major financial strain if I entered. But g'damn it, I wanted to get a decent qualifying time.
     So, after already being pouty over the financial aspect, I spent more pouting over the cancellation. But I had already been trying to formulate a backup plan, just in case. For starters I will enter the Best of The West half-Ironman again this year, which is in September. I did this 18 months ago, and the swim and bike were easy, but the run was particularly brutal since I started having leg cramps at mile 4. My goal is to repeat the event and beat my time by at least an hour. Now, the downside of doing this event is that in reality, I don't consider a half-Iron to be enough of a challenge. I know I could walk out the door tomorrow morning, do the event, and get a PR. But the run course on this event is brutal. There is no level section. None. All uphill and downhill, every damned step. So therein lies the challenge: swim smart, bike strong, run tough. And always Respect the Distance. I could do it tomorrow, but I can kill it in September (at least for me). So I will train as hard as I did last summer, but dial in my focus on speed.
    By doing the Best in The West, that also frees me up to do the Firefighter Stair Climb again. I had to skip it last year because it fell on the same weekend as the 250K. Fuck yeah, 40 flights up the Bancorp Tower in full bunker gear and SCBA. Yes, it kicks ass, and will kick your ass.
    Now, with those two weekends solidly locked up, I have the whole spring and summer open before me. I have decided that this will be the Summer to Race With My Friends. I have only done one event with someone else. All my other events I have attended and ran solo. Since I need to work on my run strength more than anything, the best way to do it is to partner up. Well, at least make it a point to have at least one friend run each event with me this summer. Last year I was training so hard that I only ran one other race, the Buck Mountain Mudslinger in late winter. This year I am going to try and hit at least two races a month, more if possible. I am going to find fun runs that will appeal to a wide range of fitness abilities. Trail runs, road races, adventure runs. I already have a handful of friends that I have thrown the gauntlet down to, and they are eager play.
    Finally, here comes the insane part, I am going to start training for the Double-Iron that is held at Hagg Lake. Yeah, a  Double, as in 2 x 140.6 miles = 281.2 miles. How fucked up is that? This could be a total pipe dream, but now that there isn't an Iron distance in the state, the Double is the next step. Honestly, I had been kind of eyeing it already, thinking that maybe in a few years I could be ready. Now I can have a solid 18 months to train. This almost works better since I won't need to take as long a recovery time after doing 70.3 like I would after the 250K. After the race I can pretend that it was just a long, brick training session. Leading up to it, and during it, it is not a training run, I will respect the distance. This will be a race. A full out, balls to the wall, I wanna catch you motherfucker, race. Now that I know I have the endurance, and have learned so much more about pacing and nutrition, as well as smart training, I think I can really push myself.
    So here is to a plethora of races, long and short. A long season, full of adventures to share. 5K to 70.1 miles, every race I will Respect The Distance, and give it all I've got.