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December 22, 2006
70.3
70.3
What does that number symbolize to you? Just a little less than a hundred, a bit more than 50….
Now think about that number in terms of a distance. From Chico, 70.3 miles will take you almost to Sacramento – or almost to Redding if you are going north. Not a terribly long distance in a car, but you better have a full tank of gas!
The number 70.3 also has a special significance in the world of triathlons. 70.3 just happens to be the total distance that a triathlete will travel when undertaking a ½ Ironman event. 1.2 miles of swimming, 56 miles of biking, and 13.1 miles running.
The date is July 22, 2007 – the Event is the Vineman 70.3, in Sonoma County, CA. Assuming that I can stay healthy, over the next 6 months of the most intense training of my life, I hope to cross the finish line about 6 ½ hours after the race begins.
The pro’s will already be showered and headed home – Tim Deboom, Christopher Legh and two others completed last year’s race in just under 4 hours. This event is one of four races in the United States that are “KONA QUALIFIERS�. This particular race is also a qualifier for the Ford Ironman 70.3 series in Clearwater Florida, so I suspect there will be lot’s of big name professional triathletes participating, along with about 2,000 or so non-professionals such as myself.
I will kick off the training program I will be following officially after the Holidays are over. The training plan is 140 days in duration, so I still have another month or so to continue to work on building my base before officially jumping off on this “Adventure�.
I picked this race for a number of reasons - primarily it is the right time of the year, to fit between the various local triathlons (2 in Oroville, one in Chico), if fits between my primary running races (Almond Blossom in Feburuary and the Bidwell Classic in March). It also is within driving distance (shipping a bike is a huge pain in the neck), and it does not involve swimming in the ocean (I'm not quite ready for that yet).
If you have ever considered doing a ½ Iron distance, and you would like to look at this one all the race details are here. I would love to have some company to help keep me motivated, and a little moral support on race day never hurt anyone!
Drop me an email (dschmidt@maxinet.com) or post a comment if you are interested…
Here's a little promo video from the USAT website to help get you motivated...
http://www.usatriathlon.org/2006elitevideo.aspx
By the way, I just sent in my entry fees today - which is a great way to motivate yoursellf to "get training". Nobody wants to spend that kind of money and then not be prepared on race day!!!
Posted by Dennis at December 22, 2006 05:24 PM
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