The Sloth Pol

No, your eyes didn't deceive you. No, it wasn't a typo. There wasn no sudden dyslexic confusion of "l" and "u" in the title. The Sloth Pol is currently located in the Fox Valley of Wisconsin.

After a long season of training and racing, I scheduled two weeks of complete rest and two weeks of active recovery. The complete rest was somewhat inaccurate, as I ran twice (6.5 mile runs) and kept up my three weekly swims. This past week, supposedly the first week of active recovery, I suddenly found myself taking the days off that should have come the first week after the marathon. This week, I was a Sloth Pol.

Not too fear, though. Next week is the final recovery week before two events. First is the start of off-season training for the Spirit of Racine Triathlon half-Ironman race. A group of us will be meeting each Saturday for organized training, including monthly "races" to gauge progress. Our goal is to motivate each other during difficult winter training periods, and use our strengths to improve another's weakness.

Second is registration for IM Louisville. Despite the lack of a race website or details of the course, I will be fighting for a spot in that race. Assuming success, I will have a lot of training to complete before August of next year. I am considering training plans, and may even break down and pony up the cash to purchase a program.

The planning for my first triathlons consisted primarily of learning to swim and buying a bike. Half and full Ironman races will require additional purchases and a great deal more planning. A wetsuit and indoor bike trainer are the top equipment needs. The planning required is mind-boggling, and I haven't even successfully registered. Nutrition, training plans, lodging, transportation to the race, coordinating with other bloggers participating, etc. It is no wonder triathletes are seen as some of the most organized people in the world.

One thing is quite certain, though. This is probably ENTIRELY too early to get concerned about some aspects of the race. Maybe I'll wait until the clock goes under 200 days to start worrying.

How odd does that sound to everyone who just watched their countdowns go under 20 days?

By the way, any suggestions regarding trainers will be greatly appreciated. The current leader is the CycleOps Mag+ trainer. As I've got zero experience with trainers, I really can use the input.

Sloth Pol's days are numbered. Soon, the journey towards truly earning the title "Iron Pol" begins in earnest. It promises to be an exciting winter and spring.