TIME

I've been planning out my training this past week for Ironman world championship in October. I remember how burned out I got last year as I trained for my first Ironman and how I nearly walked away from it all (you can read about that whole fiasco here). So this year I have decided to take a couple of weeks off and re-energize, letting my body recover some. After six months of six-days-a-week training, it's been nice relaxing a little. The pressure of qualifying for the big show is off and mentally I am beat. It's been a long training season so far.

When I take time off from training, however, there's always the danger of me reverting back to the couch potato I once was. One lesson I've learned is that after being a couch potato for all those years, it is way too easy to slip back into that lifestyle. Being lazy by nature doesn't help either.

I haven't been completely pedestrian these past couple of weeks, though. I've hit the weights hard, trying to get a good base with some strength training. I've also kept up with a some running and even raced a Peaman event this morning (Sunday). A three-quarter-mile swim and a 5K run. But my official training for Ironman begins tomorrow (Monday).

But with less than 12 weeks of effective training before the world championship there's no time to take anymore time off. After all, it takes time to build up to 6,000 yard swims, 7 hour bike rides and 3 1/2 hour runs. An adviser to Franklin D. Roosevelt once wrote, “Create a definite plan for carrying out your desire and begin at once, whether you are ready or not, to put that plan into action.” And ready or not, it's time to take my first step toward the finish line of the 2010 Ironman world championship. It'll take a lot of steps to get there. Last year I figured it took me from Honolulu to beyond New York City, more than 5,000 miles of swimming, biking and running, to cross the finish line of that 140.6-mile race.

See you out there.